Prom  the  Books  of 
CDary  J.  £.  CDcDonald 


• 
s  «?-T^  .^  <u''?j  J^K  »y^*  **t33£*  AL^&b 


Mary  J.   L.   McDonald 


' 


CALIFORNIA 


THKEE  HtJNDEED   AKD   FIFTY 


YEARS    AGO 


MANUELO'S  NARRATIVE 

from  tlu 


BY  A  PIONEER 


SAN  FRANCISCO 

C^LRSO^T    &    CO 
PUBLISHERS  AND  BOOKSELLERS 

NEW   YORK:    C.    T.    DILLINGHAM 

1888 


"  Nemo  infelicius  eo,  cut  nihil   unquam  euenit 
adversi,  non'ii^iUt  eiiifrk  :j/,U  §e  exper-iri." 


COPYRIGHTED  1887  IJY  SAMUEL   CARSON  &  Co. 

ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED. 


IN  MEMOR1AM 

V^^Ov 


LIEU  OF  PREFACE. 


THE  preface  to  a  book  is  usually  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  an  apology  for  its  production,  and 
is  intended  in  some  way  to  disarm  criticism:  an 
end,  however,  seldom  attained,  since  the  critics,  as 
a  rule,  read  no  further  than  the  preface,  taking  it 
for  granted  that  a  work  which  needs  an  apology 
is  not  worth  the  perusal.  If  no  preface  is  fur 
nished,  then  these  censors  will  have  no  alternative 
but  to  read  the  book  through  before  pronounc 
ing  judgment  upon  it. 

ESCRITOR. 


98O9SO 


CALIFORNIA  350  YEARS  AGO. 


I. 

THE   BEGINNING. 


NOT  very  many  years  ago,  but  prior  to  1847,  an  event, 
most  important  to  the  world,  occurred  in  the  city  of  Evora, 
in  the  little  kingdom  of  Portugal.  It  was  nothing  less 
than  the  discovery  there  of  an  old,  musty  manuscript  relating 
to  Alta-California,*  a  country  until  then,  and  for  some  time 
afterwards,  only  known  in  Europe  as  an  obscure  Spanish  pos 
session  on  the  far-distant  Pacific  Coast  of  North  America. 

The  manuscript  was  written  in  a  sort  of  mixture  of  the 
Spanish  and  Portuguese  languages,  liberally  interspersed  with 
Indian  expressions,  and  owing,  undoubtedly,  to  that  cause,. as 
much  as  to  its  extreme  age,  it  attracted  considerable  attention, 
when  first  brought  to  light,  although  it  was  not  regarded  with 
very  great  interest  till  some  time  afterwards. 

*  It  was  called  Alta-California — alta  meaning  higher  or  upper — because 
it  was  supposed  to  lay  well  up  towards  the  North  Pole,  and  not  for  the 
reason  that  it  was  originally  more  elevated,  in  any  sense  of  the  word,  than 
Lower,  or  Baja  California,  as  the  peninsula  was  called;  or  possibly  it 
may  have  taken  that  lofty  appellation  from  the  faot  of  its  being  approached 
by  a  voyage  on  the  high  seas,  while  Lower  California  could  be  reached  by 
merely  crossing  the  gulf. 


6  CALIFORNIA 

While  the  precise  date  of  the  discovery  cannot  now  be  ascer 
tained,  it  is  known  with  certainty  to  have  occurred  before  the 
breaking  out  of  the  great  gold  excitement  in  the  United  States, 
in  1848  and  1849,  for  had  it  been  subsequent  to  that  important 
event,  the  notoriety  of  California,  on  that  account,  would  have 
riveted  attention  to  it  at  once,  and  fixed  the  date  with  cer 
tainty. 

The  scroll  being  observed,  as  stated,  to  relate  to  a  country 
scarcely  known  in  Portugal,  what  wonder  that  it  should  have 
been  regarded  at  the  time  as  of  little  value.  As  often  re- 
,marked  by  Thucydides,  "  it  is  desirable  to  be  accurate  in  all 
things/'  bat  k  sometimes  happens,  as  in  this  instance,  that 
'the  exact  facts  cannot  be  obtained. 

/It  was  only  afterwards,  when  the  name  of  California  became 
blazoned  forth  throughout  the  world  as  the  depository  of 
nature's  choicest  mineral  treasures,  that  the  attention  of  the 
finder  of  the  manuscript  was  turned  towards  it  again.  Then, 
and  not  till  then,  a  knowledge  of  the  discovery  spread  abroad 
through  the  ancient  city  of  Evora,  and  became  the  subject  of 
much  discussion  among  the  priesthood. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  early  history  of  that  particular  part 
of  the  New  World  to  which  the  scroll  related  had  always  been 
shrouded  in  the  deepest  mystery,  and  every  attempt  thereto 
fore  made  to  throw  any  considerable  light  upon  it  had  failed. 

The  visit  of  Sir  Francis  Drake  to  that  region  in  the  year  of 
grace  1579,  was  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  first  by 
any  European;  but  all  the  accounts  of  that  celebrated  visit 
are  quite  unsatisfactory,  so  far,  at  least,  as  relates  to  the  in 
habitants  of  the  country.  That  distinguished  navigator,  it  is 
presumed,  was  deterred,  by  apprehensions  of  danger,  from  ex 
ploring  the  interior  of  the  land  to  any  considerable  extent,  and 
his  observations,  so  far  as  known,  were  all  made  from  the 
quarter-deck. 

There  is  nothing  authentic  to  show  even  into   wnat  waters 


350  YEARS  AGO.  7 

his  ships  penetrated;  in  short,  everything  that  has  come  down 
to  us  concerning  his  discoveries  is  uncertain  even  to  the  verge 
of  perplexity.  "Some  writers  have  attempted  to  prove  that  he 
actually  entered  and  anchored  his  vessels  in  the  harbor  of 
San  Francisco  instead  of  Sir  Francis  Drake's  Bay,  as  it  is  now 
called.  But  that,  I  think,  will  appear  in  the  sequel  to  be  erro 
neous  ;  and  it  is  equally  an  error  to  suppose,  as  some  writer^ 
have,  that  Viscaino,  or  Cavendish,  or  Rogers,  or  any  other  one 
of  the  bold  and  venturesome  voyagers  of  that  and  the  follow 
ing  century,  either  penetrated  into,  or  knew  anything  at  all 
about,  the  great  harbor  of  the  North  Pacific. 

A  few  Franciscan  friars,  it  is  true,  came  lumbering  along 
some  two  hundred  years  later,  and,  after  that,  gave  to  the  church, 
but  not  to  the  world,  some  little  insight  into  the  original  con 
dition  of  the  country  and  its  people;  but  these  monks  were, 
to  all  appearances,  as  chary  of  imparting  information  concern 
ing  their  observations  as  if  they  had  been  in  mortal  dread  lest 
their  new  dominions  should  be  encroached  upon  by  somebody  ; 
as,  indeed,  they  actually  were  in  the  next  generation  or  two  by 
the  advent  among  them  of  Rocky  Mountain  trappers,  and, 
later  still,  by  traders  in  hides  and  tallow  along  the  coast. 

But  the  old  manuscript  already  mentioned  has  unexpectedly, 
and  we  must  think  most  fortunately,  opened  up  to  the  world 
a  chapter  in  the  remote  history  of  that  part  of  America,  which 
antedates  them  all  by  many  years,  and  which  is  far  more  in 
structive  than  anything  heretofore  disclosed  concerning  that 
region,  a  region  which,  it  may  be  remarked,  had  been  to  all 
the  rest  of  the  world  for  unnumbered  generations  a  terra  in 
cognita. 

Evoia,  within  whose  sacred  precincts  the  scroll  was  discov 
ered,  is  the  capital  of  the  well-known  province  of  Alemtejo, 
and  was  once  a  more  populous  city  than  it  is  at  the  present 
time,  though  it  continues  to  be  the  seat  of  numerous  convents 
and  other  religious  establishments. 


8  CALIFORNIA 

A  university  founded  there  about  the  year  of  our  Lord  1550 
was  suppressed  by  the  authority  of  the  Government  of  Portu 
gal  in  1767,  at  the  time  of  the  -expulsion  from  that  kingdom 
of  the  order  of  Jesuits,  by  whom  that  same  institution  had 
been  successfully  conducted  for  more  than  two  hundred  years. 

Among  the  many  monuments  of  antiquity  pointed  out  to 
the  traveler  in  Evora  is  a  ruined  temple  of  Diana,  older  than 
the  Christian  era,  and  also  an  aqueduct  of  Roman  construc 
tion  which  still  supplies  the  city  with  water  ;  but  the  object  of 
greatest  interest,  in  the  opinion  of  the  people,  though  by  no 
means  so  ancient  as  some  of  the  others,  is  the  splendid  old 
cathedral  in  which  the  manuscript  alluded  to  was  discovered. 
Designed,  as  this  building  was,  for  the  accommodation  of  a 
numerous  priesthood,  there  were  in  it,  above  and  below 
ground,  not  a  few  but  many  apartments,  in  one  of  which,  long 
neglected,  this  literary  treasure  lay  hidden  away.  It  was  found 
in  a  secret  closet,  closely  wrapped  in  an  envelope  of  untanned 
skins  and  covered  with  the  accumulated  dust  of  many  ages. 
No  one  at  the  time  it  was  brought  to  light  or  afterwards  could 
tell  exactly  whence  the  manuscript  came  or  give  any  very  in 
telligent  account  of  its  origin,  and  its  discovery,  which  was  en 
tirely  accidental,  excited  less  curiosity  at  first  than  might  have 
been  expected,  but  subsequently  and  not  long  after,  the  Do 
minican  Brotherhood,  in  charge  of  the  place,  for  reasons 
already  hinted  at,  set  themselves  about  the  business  of  inves 
tigating  it  with  commendable  zeal. 

The  wrapping  about  the  bundle  indicated  unmistakably  its 
origin  to  have  been  some  frontier  town  in  America,  and  a  single 
expression  observed  on  one  of  its  pages  pointed  towards  Aca- 
pulco  as  the  place  whence  it  might  have  been  brought,  and 
where  it  may  have  been  written.  But,  strange  to  say,  no  date 
was  discovered  in  the  entire  roll,  a  fact  which,  perhaps,  will  be 
satisfactorily  accounted  for  hereafter. 

A  thorough  search  of  all  the  records  of  the  establishment 


350  YEARS  AGO.  9 

threw  but  little  light  upon  the  subject,  and  was  in  the  main 
unsatisfactory,  but  not  entirely  so,  since  it  disclosed  the  circum 
stance  that  an  old  member  of  the  Dominican  order,  Justino 
by  name,  a  native  of  Evora,  had  returned  from  Mexico  about 
three  hundred  years  before,  broken  in  health,  and  that  he  soon 
afterwards  died.  It  was  conjectured  that  the  manuscript 
might  have  been  brought  into  the  monastery  by  him,  and  its 
age,  as  evidenced  by  its  dilapidated  condition,  went  some  ways 
towards  confirming  that  conclusion.  A  careful  examination  of 
all  the  archives  and  old  papers  of  the  church  was  made  by  the 
priests,  to  find,  if  possible,  some  of  the  handwriting  of  Friar 
Justino  with  which  to  compare  the  writing  of  the  manuscript ; 
but  the  search  proved  in  vain.  The  records  likewise  failed  to 
show  what  particular  apartment  in  the  monastery  had  been 
occupied  by  him  on  his  return,  and  even  his  burial-place  was 
forgotten.  Neither  was  it  known  in  what  part  of  Mexico  be 
had  wandered ;  but  this  is  not  so  much  to  be  wondered  at, 
since  the  members  of  the  Dominican  brotherhood  were  migra 
tory  in  their  habits,  and  seldom  remained  more  than  a  single 
year  in  the  same  locality.  In  fact  they  were,  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  word,  missionaries  by  occupation.  Armed  with  no 
better  weapons  than  scrip  and  staff,  they  were  always  traveling 
from  place  to  place.  Father  Justine's  one  aim  in  life  had 
doubtless  been  to  instruct  the  rude  natives  of  the  New  World 
in  the  sublime  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  his  home 
at  any  time  was  likely  to  have  been  wherever  he  could  accom 
plish  most  for  the  welfare  of  that  class  of  his  fellow-beings. 
It  was,  evidently,  after  a  life  thus  spent  that  he  had  returned  to 
the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  there  to  render  up,  in  peace,  his 
weary  soul  to  its  divine  Master. 

It  is  no  slight  evidence  of  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of 
Justino,  that  the  manuscript  contained  almost  no  account  of 
his  own  career,  which  is  therefore  left  largely  to  conjecture; 
but  it  gave  much  information  concerning  what  was  then,  or 


10  CALIFORNIA 

not  long  afterwards,  known  as  California,  and  its  early  inhab 
itants,  derived  mainly  from  the  evidence  of  a  Spanish  sailor 
who  had  spent  many  years  in  that  mysterious  country. 

The  writing  may  have  been,  and  probably  was,  intended  as 
the  basis  of  a  missionary  movement  in  the  direction  of  Alta- 
California,  and  for  that  reason  the  character  of  its  people, 
their  habits  of  life,  their  capacity  for  civilization,  and,  above  all, 
their  fitness  for  conversion  to  Christianity,  were  largely  dwelt 
upon.  If,  indeed,  the  manuscript  had  been  known  with  cer 
tainty  to  have  been  prepared  by  pious  hands  for  the  specific 
purpose  of  inciting  the  Dominicans  to  undertake  such  an 
enterprise,  it  could  hardly  have  been  more  complete  in  detail; 
and  we  may  well  believe  that,  if  Father  Justino  was  really  its 
author,  of  which  there  is  less  doubt  the  more  the  subject  is 
considered,  and  if  his  life  had  been  spared  but  a  few  years 
longer,  it  is  altogether  likely  that  the  renowned  Franciscan 
friar,  Junipero  Serra,  would  have  been  anticipated  in  his  labors 
of  love,  in  that  uncultivated  field,  by  at  least  a  couple  of  cent 
uries. 

There  is  this  drawback,  however,  about  the  whole  matter, 
which  ought  in  fairness  to  be  laid  before  the  candid  reader. 
The  ink  of  the  writing  in  the  scroll  had  become  so  far  obliter 
ated  by  age  as  to  render  its  deciphering  extremely  difficult; 
and  what  was  still  more  discouraging  to  the  young  priests,  the 
vermin  had  attacked  one  end  of  the  bundle,  actually  destroy 
ing  a  portion  of  the  text,  and  probably  that  very  portion  on 
which  the  date  should  have  appeared.  But  these  misfortunes 
only  added  to  the  interest  taken  in  the  subject  by  the  persons 
in  whose  hands  the  manuscript  had  fallen,  and,  naturally 
enough,  their  pious  enthusiasm  was  kindled  by  such  untoward 
circumstances  to  work  out  to  an  intelligent  conclusion  the 
contents  of  the  whole  document.  Had  it  been  simple,  easy 
reading,  as  most  of  the  literature  of  the  church  is  known  to  be, 
it  is  altogether  probable  that  this  remarkable  production  might 


350  YEARS  AGO.  11 

have  been,  like  much  of  such  literature,  passed  over  lightly 
and  been  forgotten;  but  somehow  it  is  so  ordained  by  Provi 
dence,  that  in  matters  of  history  as  well  as  of  science,  and  even 
of  religion,  difficulties  thrown  in  the  way  of  their  development 
only  add  to  their  value  in  the  estimation  of  mankind.  The 
more  ancient  and  obscure  the  record  of  events,  and  the  more 
uncertainty  surrounding  them,  the  higher  the  appreciation  of 
them,  as  a  general  rule.  "  If  gold  could  be  easily  procured," 
as  remarked  by  one  of  the  monks,  "  it  would  be  of  little  value ;" 
and  on  the  same  principle,  as  reverently  declared  by  another, 
"He  who  bears  the  heaviest  cross  shall  wear  the  brightest 
crown."  The  worth  of  any  commodity  depends  largely  upon 
the  amount  of  labor  expended  in  its  production  ;  and  so  the 
very  great  work  necessarily  bestowed  in  digging  out,  as  it  were, 
from  a  mutilated  mass,  the  hidden  meaning  of  this  musty  old 
manuscript,  has  invested  it  with  most  unusual  interest. 

It  is  probably  owing  to  this  circumstance,  more  than  to  any 
other,  that  it  possesses  at  this  time  any  considerable  impor 
tance,  for  it  is,  after  all,  when  dispassionately  considered,  only 
the  story  of  an  obscure  sailor  man,  and  as  likely,  for  aught  we 
can  see,  to  be  as  untrustworthy  as  other  stories  of  a  similar 
origin. 

Should  the  reader  be  inclined  to  this  view  of  the  case,  he 
might  as  well  now  discontinue  the  task  of  perusing  it,  and 
permit  the  narrative  to  pass,  either  as  the  doubtful  yarn  of  a 
seaman,  or  else,  if  he  prefers  it,  as  the  idle  tale  of  a  Dominican 
friar — one  or  the  other  of  which  it  certainly  is,  but  which 
makes  little  difference,  since  either  is  liable  to  be  discredited. 
But  the  next  chapter  may  possibly  disclose  something  of 
greater  interest,  and  the  perusal  of  that  much  more  is  there 
fore  recommended  before  dropping  the  subject  entirely. 


12  CALIFORNIA 

II. 
THE  NEXT  CHAPTER. 

THE  story  runs  that  very  many  years  ago  a  large  man-of- 
war — large  for  those  times  doubtless,  though  of  only  about  five 
hundred  tons'  burden — was  cruising  along  the  northwestern 
coast  of  the  newly-found  continent  of  America,  but  upon 
what  particular  errand  she  was  bound  is  not  stated,  nor  is  that 
of  any  consequence  so  far  as  at  present  appears,  though  it  is 
presumed  she  was  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  seeking  for  the 
Northwest  Passage.  But  what  is  important  to  know  is  that 
she  bore  the  Spanish  colors  at  her  mast-head,  a  flag  in  those 
days  emblematic  of  by  far  the  most  powerful  maritime  nation 
in  the  world.  She  was  a  full-rigged  frigate  and  was  thoroughly 
equipped  and  provisioned  for  a  long  voyage,  and  therefore 
presumably  the  more  venturesome.  It  being  well  understood 
that  she  was  now  in  waters  that  had  never  before  been  dis 
turbed  by  the  vessels  of  civilized  men,  she  was  handled  from 
day  to  day  by  her  officers  with  all  the  caution  that  prudence 
required  under  the  circumstances.  She  had  been  abroad  on 
her  lonesome  cruise  for  many  weeks  and  had  penetrated  far 
into  the  ''Northern  Indian  Ocean,"  as  that  part  of  the  Pacific 
was  then  called,  feeling  her  way,  as  it  were,  along  the  coast 
and  among  islands,  when,  as  it  happened,  on  a  clear  afternoon 
a  narrow  opening  into  the  land  was  observed  by  her  com 
mander,  and  her  prow  was  at  once  turned  thitherward.  After 
several  ineffectual  attempts  to  reach  the  channel,  rendered 
abortive  by  adverse  tides  and  currents,  she  succeeded  at  last 
in  making  an  entrance  into  a  wide  and  beautiful  harbor, 
noticed  in  the  report  as  being  completely  landlocked.*  This 
harbor  was  bordered  on  every  side  by  uneven,  if  not  rugged, 
woodlands,  and  in  some  directions  mountains  were  plainly 
visible.  According  to  the  description  given  in  the  manuscript, 
the  harbor  was  much  larger  from  north  to  south  than  from 


350  YEARS  AGO.  13 

east  to  west,  although  it  was  represented  to  be  some  leagues 
in  width. 

These  casual  observations  touching  the  geographical  forma 
tion  of  the  harbor  and  country  about,  give  us  a  very  satisfac 
tory  clue  to  its  identity,  and  though  its  waters  remained  un 
named  for  generations  afterwards,  unquestionably  the  good 
ship  was  then  riding  securely  in  what  is  now  known,  the  world 
over,  as  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  In  a  little  while  soundings 
were  taken,  sails  furled,  and  anchor  dropped. 

The  extreme  newness  of  the  country,  like  many  other  parts 
of  America  when  first  visited  by  Europeans,  was  fairly  bewil 
dering.  The  all-pervading  silence  was  spoken  of  as  oppressive, 
but  the  locality  was  none  the  less  interesting,  on  that  account, 
to  men  who  were  eagerly  searching  in  an  unexplored  field 
for  the  wonders  of  nature  and  of  Providence.  This  was. 
really  a  far  more  inviting  region  than  they  had  expected  to 
find,  promising,  as  it  did,  to  the  leaders  of  the  expedition  great 
renown  in  case  of  a  safe  return  to  their  native  country.  They 
could  confidently  expect  decorations  from  their  king  for 
bringing  to  light  a"  land  of  such  varied  promise.  And  as 
to  the  men,  each  and  every  one  of  them,  from  common  sailor 
to  cabin-boy,  could  hopefully  look  forward  to  a  supply  of  shin 
ing  silver  from  the  plethoric  Spanish  treasury  as  a  reward  for 
his  participation  in  the  discovery. 

The  good  ship  had  been  inside  the  harbor  only  a  day  or 
two  when,  in  want  of  fresh  water,  as  ships  usually  are,  a  boat's 
crew,  well  armed  and  equipped,  was  sent  ashore  to  reconnoiter 
the  land  in  search  of  the  needed  beverage.  The  country  bor 
dering  on  the  Bay,  though  extremely  wild  in  appearance,  was 
obviously  inhabited  by  human  beings  of  some  sort,  since  fires 
were  observed  to  blaze  on  certain  of  the  hills  by  night,  and 
smoke  to  ascend  therefrom  by  day. 

There  must  have  been,  at  that  remote  period,  vastly  more 
timber  in  that  region  than  was  found  in  later  times,  for  the 


14  CALIFORNIA 

shores  were  represented  as  thickly  covered  with  trees  of  large 
growth,  almost  down  to  the  water's  edge;  and  even  the  islands 
in  the  Bay  were  said  to  lie  studded  with  oaks  and  evergreens. 
The  country  was  described  as  marvelously  picturesque  and 
beautiful  when  viewed  from  the  deck  of  the  ship,  or  from  aloft, 
and  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  even  then  it  possessed  in  pro 
fusion  those  fascinations  for  which  it  has  since  become  famous. 

But  the  evident  shyness  of  the  natives,  not  one  of  whom 
could  anywhere  be  seen,  created  a  suspicion  that  they  might 
be  hostile,  as,  indeed,  the  Indians  in  many  parts  of  the  New 
World  had  proved  to  be,  and  on  that  account  as  favorable  a 
location  as  possible  was  selected  for  the  landing.  It  was  on  a 
low,  sandy  spit  extending  into  the  Bay,  and  so  situated  as  to  be 
covered  by  the  guns  of  the  ship  as  she  lay  in  the  offing. 

The  shore  was  reached  by  the  boat's  crew  without  interrup 
tion,  and,  so  far  as  could  be  determined  from  appearances,  not 
one  of  the  inhabitants  was  within  leagues  of  the  place. 

The  Spaniards,  full  of  good  spirits,  and  growing  bolder  by 
degrees,  proceeded  inland,  lured  on,  not  more  by  what  they  were 
in  pursuit  of,  than  by  the  attractiveness  of  the  surroundings. 
Delighted  with  being  once  more  on  terra  firma,  and  in  such 
a  pleasing  locality,  they  had  pushed  far  into  the  heart  of  the 
forest,  when  the  foremost  of  the  men  espied  skulking  in  the 
undergrowth,  not  a  hundred  varas  away,  what  at  first  appeared 
to  him,  and  which  he  supposed  really  was,  some  new  species 
of  wild  animal,  but  which,  on  closer  inspection,  proved  to  be 
a  human  being  clad  in  the  skins  of  wild  beasts. 

This  sudden  development  created  no  little  commotion  among 
the  Spaniards,  and  all,  with  one  accord,  rushed  forward  to  ob 
tain  a  better  view  for  himself.  The  Indian,  not  disposed,  as  it 
seemed,  to  quit  his  ground  without  some  reluctance,  one  of 
the  sailors,  with  a  recklessness  wholly  unaccountable,  consider 
ing  their  situation  at  that  moment,  cast  a  weapon  of  some  sort 
at  him,  severely  wounding  him  in  the  leg.  A  cry  of  pain  was 


350  YEARS  AGO.  15 

immediately  raised  by  the  native,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  relate  the  fact,  a  hundred  or  more  stalwart  warriors,  all  armed 
in  their  way  and  ready  for  battle,  sprang  from  cover  and  ad 
vanced  upon  the  Spaniards,  who,  perceiving  themselves  out 
numbered,  at  least  ten  to  one,  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  The  en 
emy  followed,  with  a  fearful  clamor,  but  for  the  best  of  reasons 
soon  learned  to  maintain  a  respectful  distance.  After  several 
halts  on  the  -way,  merely  to  show  that  they  were  not  wholly  demor 
alized,  but  losing  no  time  unnecessarily,  the  boat's  crew,  nearly 
exhausted  by  the  race,  at  last  reached  the  landing  and  all  safely 
embarked  save  one,  a  young  man,  who  was  left  prone  upon  the 
ground,  not  far  from  the  water's  edge,  where  he  had  been 
stricken  down  by  the  enemy's  weapons.  The  boat's  crew  hov 
ered  near  the  shore  for  some  time  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  their 
comrade,  and  then  put  off  to  the  ship.  The  young  man  mak 
ing  no  movement  that  was  observed,  was  believed  to  have  been 
killed  outright,  and  his  shipmates  abandoned  him  to  his  fate. 
This  young*  fellow,  who  was,  in  fact,  only  wounded,  and  who,  in 
duo  time,  recovered  his  senses,  is  the  one  from  whom  was  ob 
tained  the  facts  which  go  to  make  up  the  narrative  contained  in 
the  manuscript  of  Father  Justino,  as  we  assume  it  to  be,  and  of 
which  we  are  now  giving  a  somewhat  liberal  translation. 

In  the  series  of  little  conflicts  occurring  on  the  retreat  of  the 
ooat's  crew,  a  number  of  other  natives,  besides  the  one  already 
mentioned,  were  wounded,  more  or  less  seriously,  which  caused 
great  commotion  among  them,  and  a  most  frightful  war  dance 
was  presently  inaugurated  over  the  prostrate  body  of  the  sailor. 

The  captain  of  the  man-of-war,  in  doubt  as  to  the  nature  and 
numbers  of  the  natives,  weighed  anchor  and  hastily  pulled  out 
into  the  stream,  awaiting  only  for  the  crew  to  come  on  board 
before  departing  for  some  place  of  greater  safety. 

The  wounded  man,  abandoned  as  he  was,  expected  no  better 
treatment  from  his  enraged  captors  than  to  be  dispatched 
at  once,  and,  crossing  himself,  with  a  spirit  of  resignation,  as  a 


16  CALIFORNIA 

good  Christian  should,  he  calmly  awaited  his  fate.  In  after 
wards  describing  his  sensations  at  that  particular  time,  he  was 
exceedingly  animated,  and  indulged  in  more  levity  than  Friar 
Justino  thought  was  warranted  under  such  serious  circumstances? 
and  accordingly  the  good  priest,  as  is  stated  in  the  manuscript, 
administered  to  him  a  fitting  rebuke.  But  the  sailor's  excuse, 
and  a  sufficient  one  it  would  seem  to  be,  was  his  marvelous  good- 
fortune  in  escaping  death,  which  to  him  just  then  appeared  in 
evitable,  and  it  may  well  be  conceded  that  his  feelings  at  the 
time  of  relating  the  joyful  events  were  not  altogether  his  own. 

To  his  surprise  and  unutterable  gratification  the  enemy,  when 
the  dance  was  ended,  began  more  coolly  to  contemplate  his 
person,  as  he  lay  stretched  upon  the  ground,  and  on  their  ap 
proaching  him  more  closely  he  was  enabled  to  perceive  in  their 
faces  expressions  of  great  curiosity,  and  this  inspired  new  hope 
within  him.  It  was  the  first  time  the  Indians  had  ever  beheld 
a  human  being  of  a  race  different  from  their  own — a  circum 
stance  to  which  the  sailor  certainly  owed  his  life;  and  to  this 
same  fortunate  circumstance  the  world  is  now  indebted  for  this 
extremely  interesting  narrative.  The  anger  of  the  savages  rap 
idly  yielded  to  their  astonishment,  and  the  wounded  white  man 
was  not  after  that  seriously  molested. 

Not  long  subsequent  to  the  occurrences  just  described,  he 
was  visited,  where  he  lay  on  the  shore,  by  a  number  of  the 
women  of  the  country,  whose  countenances,  more  than  those 
of  the  men,  beamed  with  compassion  towards  him,  and  he 
found  far  less  difficulty  in  gaining  their  good-will  than  could 
have  been  expected,  considering,  as  we  must,  that  they  were 
only  barbarians,  and  he  an  utter  stranger  among  them.  But 
for  the  kindly  offices  of  these  gentle  creatures,  he  always  in 
sisted  he  must  have  perished  miserably  where  he  lay,  for  such 
was  the  character  of  his  wounds  that  he  was  not  at  all  in  a 
condition  to  care  for  himself.  In  this  time  of  sorest  need 
assistance  was  thus  rendered  him  by  the  more  sympathizing 


350  YEARS  AGO.  17 

sex.  His  experience  under  these  most  trying  circumstances  it 
was  that  incited  in  his  breast  that  respect  and  partiality  for 
women  which  ever  afterwards  graced  his  character,  as  will 
appear  in  the  subsequent  pages  of  this  history.  He  certainly 
had  abundant  reason  to  be  grateful  to  them,  and  it  is  to  his 
everlasting  credit  that  he  never  afterwards  neglected  an  oppor 
tunity  to  show  his  gratitude.  A  flint-headed  arrow  had  pene 
trated  one  of  his  legs,  going  quite  through  the  fleshy  part, 
flint,  shaft,  feathers,  and  all;  but  the  most  serious  wound  was 
inflicted  on  the  back  of  his  head,  with  a  stone  hatchet,  fixed 
in  a  wooden  handle — a  native  weapon  quite  common,  as  he 
afterwards  observed.  It  was  this  blow  that  rendered  him,  for 
the  time,  insensible,  and  came  so  very  near  costing  him  his 
life. 

III. 

MANUELO. 

WE  almost  forgot  to  mention  the  name  of  the  individual 
through  whose  kindness  we  are  enabled  to  continue  this  most 
eventful  narrative.  It  was  Manuelo,  and  nothing  more.  If, 
perchance,  at  any  time  another  name  belonged  to  him,  the 
fact  was  nowhere  disclosed  in  the  manuscript,  and  his 
possession  of  one  is  therefore  thrown  in  doubt.  A  single  name 
for  a  person  of  obscure  origin  was  no  uncommon  thing  in 
those  days,  and  even  the  ownership  of  one  good  name  was 
more  than  some  people  could  boast.  If  peradventure 
Manuelo  possessed,  by  right  of  inheritance,  a  family  appella 
tion,  it  being  nowhere  disclosed  in  the  writing,  it  is  now  wholly 
lost  to  history,  and  the  responsibility  for  that  public  calamity 
rests  upon  the  author  of  the  manuscript.  It  is  possible, 
however,  that  his  patronymic  may  have  been  eaten  away  by 
the  rodents,  and  if  so,  the  responsibility  would  be  removed 
entirely  from  the  shoulders  of  Justino.  It  must  be  considered 
a  misfortune,  nevertheless,  that  the  first  white  man  whose  feet 


18  CALIFORNIA 

ever  pressed  the  sacred  soil  of  California,  is  compelled  to  go 
down  to  posterity  under  the  simple  appellation  of  Manuelo ; 
but  it  is  none  the  less  a  duty  to  perpetuate  what  is  certainly 
known  concerning  him,  and  we  proceed  accordingly  to  relate, 
or,  rather,  to  permit  him  to  relate,  the  further  occurrences  of 
that  time, — how  the  native  women,  prompted  by  their  natural 
goodness  of  heart,  hastened  to  bring  him  water  and  food;  and 
how  they  tenderly  bound  up  his  wounds,  applying  to  them  the 
wilted  leaves  of  medicinal  plants,  held  in  place  by  thongs  of 
buckskin ;  and  how  they  treated  him  with  more  than  sisterly 
kindness,  during  all  the  years  he  remained  among  them. 

IV. 

SOMETHING  ELSE. 

THE  precise  location  of  the  village  to  which  Manuelo  was 
removed,  after  the  lapse  of  some  days,  can  never  be  known 
with  certainty,  since  the  fact  is  disclosed  that  at  least  a  dozen 
large  villages,  and  many  smaller  ones,  were  scattered  around 
the  great  Bay  at  intervals.  One  town,  however,  much  larger 
than  the  others,  was  situated  "  over  against  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor,"  and  this  was,  so  to  speak,  the  capital  of  the  whole 
country.  Here  resided  the  head  chief,  or  king,  who  main 
tained  a  sort  of  court,  surrounding  himself  with  all  the  par 
aphernalia  consistent  with  the  degree  of  civilization  enjoyed 
by  his  people.  This  capital  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
broad  harbor,  and  quite  away  from  where  the  white  men  had 
landed.  Becoming  acquainted  with  all  these  facts,  as  he  grew 
better  of  his  wounds,  and,  true  to  his  sailorly  instincts  to  seek 
the  largest  centers  of  population,  Manuelo  early  resolved, 
when  sufficiently  recovered,  to  pay  a  visit  to  that  city,  which 
purpose  he  afterwards  carried  out,  but  under  difficulties,  as 
will  appear. 

His  recovery  was  more  rapid  than  could  have  been  antici- 


350  YEARS  AGO  19 

pated,  in  view  of  the  serious  character  of  his  injuries,  and 
much  more  speedy  than  it  would  have  been  but  for  the  unre- 
mitted  attentions  of  the  Indian  women.  Indeed,  their  manner 
towards  him  was  so  considerate  and  thoughtful  of  all  his  wants, 
that  he  could  with  difficulty  persuade  himself  that  his  wounds 
had  been  inflicted  by  people  of  the  same  race  with  them,  and 
it  is  but  just  to  say  that  his  heart  overflowed  with  gratitude  in 
contemplation  of  their  kindness.  Such  magnanimous  conduct 
on  the  part  of  those  unlettered  barbarians  towards  an  unfortu 
nate  and  perishing  Christian  should  convince  us  all,  as  it  did 
Manuelo,  and  Justino  as  well,  that  the  better  qualities  of 
human  nature  are  confined  to  no  particular  race,  and  belong 
exclusively  to  no  condition  in  life.  It  teaches,  also,  as  plainly 
as  anything  can,  that  we  should  always  brace  up  against  adver 
sity,  and  under  no  circumstances  give  way  to  despair,  since 
none  are  gifted  with  foresight  to  know  what  the  end  of  appar 
ent  calamity  may  be  ;  nor  is  anyone  able  to  control,  in  all 
things,  his  own  destiny. 

Pious  Justino  took  occasion  here  to  remind  his  informant  of 
the  great  religious  truth  that  the  winds  were  always  tempered 
to  the  shorn  lamb,  and  that  there  was  certainly  a  providence 
in  his  escape,  which  lesson  Manuelo,  sailor-like,  but  not  irrev 
erently,  accepted,  with  the  proviso  that  the  lamb  should  be 
shorn  only  at  the  proper  season  of  the  year,  in  which  case  he 
maintained  there  could  be  no  doubt  about  the  truth  of  the 
saying. 

V. 

NATIVE  HABITS  AND  RELIGION. 

SATISFACTORY  though  the  progress  of  Manuelo's  re 
covery  was,  nevertheless  weeks  elapsed  before  he  was  able  to 
stir  forth  from  the  wigwam  in  which  he  had  been  laid.  The 
arrow  in  going  through  the  fleshy  portion  of  his  limb  had 
grazed  the  bone,  and  for  a  time  he  greatly  feared  it  might 


20  CALIFORNIA 

result  in  permanent  lameness.  The  wound  on  the  head  was 
of  a  nature  to  dislodge  the  scalp  for  a  space,  and*  the  process 
of  healing  was  necessarily  slow;  but  being  frequently  admon 
ished  by  his  attendants  to  remain  quiet,  he  was  as  often 
assured  that  the  end  would  be  well.  He  was  able  the  more 
readily  to  conquer  his  impatience  since  his  confinement,  with  its 
agreeable  companionship,  afforded  him  an  opportunity  to  make 
progress  in  mastering  the  language  of  the  people,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  learn  something  about  their  habits  and  general 
disposition — an  opportunity  of  which  he  availed  himself  to  the 
very  best  advantage. 

Their  language  he  found  to  be  simple,  but  expressive,  and 
by  no  means  harsh  in  sound.  It  was  not  difficult  for  him  to 
acquire  a  sufficiency  of  it  to  make  known  his  wants,  while  his 
native  tongue  was  freely  used  in  expressions  of  thankfulness, 
which  his  attendants — as  he  insisted — understood  full  well. 
Their  habits  were  in  many  respects  entirely  primitive,  but  in 
others  they  were  marked  by  a  degree  of  civility  quite  unac 
countable  in  a  people  who  had  never  enjoyed  the  blessings  of 
Christianity. 

Extreme  delicacy  of  manners  and  modesty  of  demeanor,  it 
was  observed,  characterized  the  conduct  of  the  women,  young 
and  old;  and  even  the  men,  on  all  occasions,  were  sufficiently 
polite,  evincing  thereby  a  liberal  endowment  of  native  good 
ness.  He  could  plainly  see  that  the  most  warlike  amongst 
them  had  come  to  regard  him  with  sympathy  and  favor,  and 
all  apprehension  of  ill  treatment  in  the  future  gradually  wore 
away.  With  the  children  of  the  village,  possibly  because  he 
was  a  sailor  man  and  a  stranger  amongst  them,  he  became  a 
great  favorite.  This  fact  must  be  taken  as  demonstrating  the 
excellent  natural  disposition  of  Manuelo  himself,  for  we  learn 
that  the  partiality  of  the  children  for  him  was  abundantly  man 
ifest,  long  before  his  proficiency  in  the  language  enabled  him 
to  entertain  them  with  stories  of  his  own  adventures. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  21 

Owing  to  the  uncertainly,  or  perhaps  it  would,  be  more 
proper  to  say  the  certainty,  of  his  stay  among  them,  it  was 
clearly  his  duty,  as  well  as  his  interest,  to  observe  with  care 
whatever  might  be  peculiar,  or  otherwise,  in  the  customs  and 
mode  of  life  of  this  people;  and  he  was  not  long  in  learning 
that  the  young  men  and  women  were  addicted  to  many  inno 
cent  pleasures,  and  that  mirthfulness  was  a  leading  characteris 
tic  of  the  race.  Their  lives  were  taken  up  with  a  round  of 
domestic  duties,  interspersed  with  a  variety  of  games,  each  in 
its  season.  It  is  worth  relating  that  these  sports  were  seldom 
interrupted,  even  by  the  occurrence  of  a  death  in  the  tribe,  for 
these  people  looked  not  upon  death  as  a  calamity,  unless  it 
might  be  the  result  of  accident  or  violence.  They  were  firm 
believers  in  the  future  existence,  and  through  their  seers, 
prophets,  and  priests,  assumed  to  hold  communication  with 
the  spirits  of  the  departed.  This  fact  Justino  regarded  as  of  the 
highest  importance,  and  he  made  it  the  basis  of  a  lengthy  dis 
quisition  in  the  manuscript,  upon  their  susceptibility  to  the 
influence  of  gospel  truths,  which,  though  it  might  have  been 
interesting  enough  to  the  Dominican  brotherhood  centuries  ago, 
can  hardly  be  worth  recording  here,  and  is  therefore  omitted. 
He  described  with  great  particularity  their  incantations  and 
ceremonies  over  the  dead,  whose  bodies,  by  invariable  custom, 
were  consumed  on  a  funeral  pyre.  He  told  how  their  prepara 
tions  for  this  last  rite  were  made.  On  every  such  occasion,  in 
a  beautiful  wooded  valley,  hemmed  in  on  either  hand  by  a 
dense  forest  of  evergreen  trees,  the  body,  on  the  day  following 
the  death,  would  be  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  four  stalwart 
men.  The  hour  chosen  for  the  funeral  ceremony  was  always 
near  the  setting  of  the  sun,  when  the  litter  would  be  preceded 
by  the  eldest  prophet  of  the  village,  arrayed  in  a  long  robe  of 
the  skins  of  black  animals,  and  bearing  aloft  a  lighted  torch. 
Following  the  bier  would  come  the  family  friends  of  tb<~  de 
ceased,  in  single  file,  and  each  with  a  bundle  of  fagots,  to  be 


22  CALIFORNIA 

added  to  the  pile,  after  the  body  was  placed  thereon.  Next  in 
order  after  the  immediate  friends  of  the  deceased  followed  a 
band  of  female  singers,  all  arrayed  in  picturesque  costume. 
The  dirge-like  music  of  these,  interrupted  only  by  the  incanta 
tions  of  the  priest,  was  kept  up,  with  brief  intervals,  till  late  at 
night,  and  until  the  body  was  consumed.  The  most  impressive 
part  of  the  ceremony  occurred  just  at  the  time  of  setting  fire 
to  the  pile,  when  the  solemn  voice  of  the  priest,  mingled  with 
the  loud  lamentations  of  the  mourners,  could  be  heard  afar, 
and  was  re-echoecl  back  from  the  neighboring  hills.  Only  a 
select  number  of  the  men,  and  barely  enough  to  perform  well 
these  last  sad  obligations  to  the  dead,  ever  attended  on  these 
occasions,  and  the  children  never.  As  a  general  thing,  all  the 
people  of  the  village,  of  every  age  and  sex,  would  follow  the 
procession  to  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  when,  with  demon 
strations  of  friendly  regard,  they  would  bid  adieu  to  the  de 
parted  and  with  measured  tread  return  to  their  homes. 

The  sorrow  of  these  simple  people  over  their  dead  was  un 
doubtedly  softened  by  their  faith  in  the  future  existence,  and 
by  their  confidence  in  the  power  of  their  prophets  to  commu 
nicate  with  the  spirits  of  the  deceased,  which  was  unbounded. 
Justino  argued  from  this  fact,  and  very  properly,  that  they  were 
most  fit  subjects  for  missionary  labors,  and  the  good  man 
longed  to  be  the  one  to  impart  to  them  the  sublime  mysteries 
of  the  true  religion.  In  this  ambition  he  was  doubtless  greatly 
encouraged  by  the  genial  Manuelo,  who,  though  a  sailor,  was 
nevertheless  a  good  Christian,  and  never  forgot  entirely  his 
obligations,  either  to  the  church  or  to  these  miserable  barba 
rians. 

[From  the  Napa  Register,  December  20,  1886.] 

Desiring  to  obtain  some  fine  loam  for  the  Insane  Asylum  grounds  a 
short  time  ago,  the  gardener  resorted  to  the  site  of  an  old  Indian  ranche- 
ria  at  a  short  distance  in  the  rear  of  the  Asylum.  It  was  found  upon 
reaching  the  depth  of  three  or  four  feet  that  the  locality  was  an  Indian  grave 
yard,  and  several  skeletons  of  the  aborigines  were  found.  These  were 


350  YEARS  AGO.  23 

covered  with  only  a  few  feet  of  earth,  and  from  the  position  in  which  they 
were  found,  and  from  their  surroundings,  much  interesting  information  was 
obtained  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Indians  of  Napa  Valley 
buried  their  dead. 

As  a  general  thing,  the  bodies  were  doubled  up,  the  chin  resting  on 
the  knees  and  the  hands  clasped  about  them.  Then  the  bodies  were  bound 
with  bark,  pieces  of  which  were  found  on  the  skeletons  in  a  fair  state  of 
preservation.  Bright-hued  stones,  beads,  and  other  trinkets  were  also 
found.  The  bodies  were  buried,  not  in  a  sitting  position,  but  upon  their 
sides.  Continuing  the  excavations  there  were  found  at  the  depth  of  six 
feet  indications  that  the  Indians  practiced  cremation,  as  the  ashes  of 
human  bones  were  discovered,  and  also  large  numbers  of  beads  united  by 
the  action  of  fire. 

Little  thought  is  given  by  the  busy,  driving  whites  of  to-day,  to  the 
countless  numbers  who  once  roamed  over  every  part  of  this  valley.  They 
lived  their  day  and  passed  off  the  stage  of  life,  leaving  behind  them  but 
few  traces  of  their  existence,  swept  away  by  "  the  flood  of  years." 

VI. 

THEIR   SPORTS. 

A  FAVORITE  sport  of  the  children,  and  indeed  of  the 
youth  of  both  sexes,  was  hiding  and  seeking,  the  facilities  for 
which,  in  so  wild  a  country,  were  practically  unlimited.  In 
following  this  diversion,  frequently  they  would  wander  off  to 
great  distances  alone,  and  thus  incur  risk  of  destruction  by 
wild  beasts.  Nevertheless  they  pursued  this  sport  without  re 
straint  and  with  a  zeal  and  daring  quite  surprising.  Instances 
were  related  to  Manuelo  where  children  had  been  lost  or  de 
stroyed  in  their  efforts  to  escape  detection;  but  the  diversion 
was  none  the  less  applauded,  and,  as  Manuelo  believed,  because 
it  encouraged  adventure,  and  at  the  same  time  increased  their 
expertness  in  forest  tracking  and  trailing. 

The  women  had  an  amusement,  practiced  by  them  exclu 
sively,  which  consisted  in  the  throwing  and  catching  of  forked 
sticks,  prepared  for  the  purpose;  but  exactly  how  it  was  con 
ducted  i:,  not  so  dcbcn'ued  as  to  render  the  account  intclli- 


24  CALIFORNIA 

gible,  although  it  was  a  game,  he  said,  in  which  they  freely  in 
dulged  and  became  exceedingly  expert. 

The  men  of  the  tribe,  old  and  young,  had  a  variety  of  sports, 
such  as  foot-racing,  wrestling,  and  ball-playing.  Instead  of  a 
ball,  a  round  stone,  or,  more  commonly,  a  piece  of  wood,  worn 
down  to  the  proper  shape,  somewhat  oblong,  with  the  ends 
smoothed  to  avoid  the  infliction  of  wounds,  was  used.  Not 
unfrequently  the  men  were  so  swift  of  foot  as  to  elude  wild 
beasts  when  pursued  by  them,  or  to  overtake  in  the  chase  the 
fleet  animals  of  the  country.  They  were  expert  hunters,  and 
were  little  in  fear  of  the  most  ferocious  tenants  of  the  forest. 
Two  or  three  of  them  could  at  any  time  conquer  a  huge  bear 
or  a  full-grown  panther,  of  which  large  numbers  were  in  the 
forests  about.  Some  of  their  exploits  in  this  line  exhibited  a 
daring  and  hardihood  unexampled  in  story.  Their  weapons 
were  few  in  variety,  and  simple  in  construction,  consisting  of 
the  bow  and  arrow,  flint-pointed,  the  javelin,  with  point  of  bone, 
the  stone  hatchel,  and  the  war-club,  in  the  use  of  all  of 
which  they  became  exceedingly  expert.  Like  the  Spanish  bull 
fighter  they  were  accustomed  to  study  with  care  the  vulnerable 
points  in  their  four-footed  adversaries,  and  seldom  failed  in  a 
contest  to  gain  a  victory. 

Manuelo,  in  the  exuberance  of  his  admiration  for  their  skill, 
was  wont  to  say  that  no  matadore  of  the  old  country,  in  the 
arena,  ever  displayed  greater  coolness  in  danger  than  these  peo 
ple  were  in  the  habit  of  showing  in  their  contests  with  wild 
beasts.  In  other  respects,  no  less  than  in  those  mentioned, 
these  denizens  of  the  forest  exhibited  a  peculiar  nobility  of 
character,  which  they  probably  acquired  from  the  nature  of 
their  surroundings.  Their  self-sacrificing  magnanimity  was 
always  equal  to  their  bravery.  They  never  failed  to  render  assist 
ance  to  a  companion  in  distress,  however  great  the  peril  or 
severe  the  sacrifice  ;  and  this  it  was  that  called  forth  from  Jus- 
tino  the  philosophic  reflection  that  cowardice  and  cruelty  go 


350  YEARS  AGO.  25 

hand  in  hand,  while  bravery  and  generosity  are  inseparable 
companions. 

It  was  a  leading  tenet  of  their  religion,  if  they  may  be  said 
to  have  had  a  religion,  never  to  shrink  from  responsibility,  and 
they  understood  their  obligations  to  each  other  as  well  as  any 
people  under  the  sun.  The  most  enlightened  nations  of  that 
century,  it  was  thought,  might  have  learned  much  from  these 
half-naked  savages,  touching  the  duty  of  man  to  his  fellow,  and 
it  was  regretted  by  the  good  friar  that  others,  more  m  need  of 
it,  could  not  have  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  their  example. 

While  he  remained  among  them  Manuelo  could  not  but 
frequently  reflect  that  if  his  Christian  companions,  meaning 
those  of  the  ship's  crew,  had  possessed  only  half  the  chivalry 
of  these  barbarians,  they  would  never  have  left  him  to  an  un 
known  fate.  This  never-failing  unselfishness  of  his  captors 
was  exultingly  adduced  by  Manuelo  as  evidence  that  they 
really  enjoyed  a  civilization  of  the  very  highest  order  compat 
ible  with  entire  ignorance  of  the  Christian  religion.  But 
Manuelo's  glowing  account  of  the  magnanimity  of  the  men 
was  even  more  than  surpassed  by  the  exuberance  of  his  opin 
ions  touching  the  virtue  and  excellence  of  the  women.  Indeed, 
he  had  far  greater  reason  to  regard  the  gentler  sex  with  favor, 
inasmuch  as  to  them  he  was  indebted  for  the  preservation  of 
his  life.  But,  independent  of  that  obligation,  and  even  if  it 
had  never  existed,  he  must  have  pronounced  them  among  the 
very  best  specimens  of  womankind,  and  a  higher  compliment 
no  man  could  pay  the  gentler  sex. 

VII. 

CHAPTER    SEVEN. 

THESE  children  of  nature  having  few  wants  they  were 
easily  satisfied.  In  truth,  they  knew  nothing  whatever  about 
the  outside  world,  and  were  troubled  with  no  cares  beyond 
those  incident  to  their  simple  mode  of  life. 


26  CALIFORNIA 

Until  the  advent,  in  this  great  unknown  harbor,  of  the  Don 
Carlos  La  Grande,  for  such  was  the  name  of  the  man-of-war  in 
which  Manuelo  had  come,  they  were  oblivious  of  any  other  race 
than  their  own,  and  happy  for  them  had  they  been  permitted 
to  remain  forever  in  that  state  of  blissful  ignorance.  Free 
from  a  desire  for  change  or  improvement  they  were  content 
with  their  present  condition,  and  with  what  they  possessed,  as 
indeed,  had  been  their  ancestors  for,  possibly,  thousands  of 
years  before  them. 

There  were  evidences  among  them  in  abundance.,  observable 
mainly  in  the  formation  of  their  villages,  and  particularly  in 
the  wonderful  size  and  growth  of  their  mounds,  of  a  remote  an 
tiquity,  and  who  shall  say  that,  as  a  people,  they  were  not  con 
temporaneous  with  the  oldest  of  which  history  gives  any 
account?  But  there  is  in  this,  perhaps,  too  much  of  specula 
tion  to  be  incorporated  in  a  record  of  actual  events. 

So  rarely  has  it  happened  that  the  historian  has  been  able 
to  transmit  to  posterity  accurate  information,  even  concerning 
transactions  of  his  own  time  and  country,  to  say  nothing  about 
those  of  other  times  and  other  lands,  gathered,  as  they  must 
needs  be,  from  many  sources,  and  often  untrustworthy,  that 
the  public  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  specific  and  evi 
dently  reliable  character  of  the  intelligence  furnished  by  Man 
uelo  concerning  a  people  and  country  hitherto  unknown,  and 
after  a  lapse  of  hundreds  of  years.  It  has  been  remarked  that 
fiction  predominates  in  history,  and  likewise  that  much  truth 
is  to  be  found  in  works  of  fiction;  whether  that  be  so  or  not, 
it  is  certain  that  the  remark  cannot  apply  with  any  fitness  to 
the  present  narrative,  since  the  only  point  in  it  upon  which 
there  is  any  considerable  doubt  is  as  to  the  time  of  the  visit 
of  the  Don  Carlos  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  end  even 
that  can  be  fixed  with  a  tolerable  degree  of  certainty,  since  it  is 
known  that  the  king  after  whom  the  good  ship  was  named  the 
great  Charles  the  Fifth  of  Spain,  became  famous  in  the  early 


350  YEARS  AGO.  27 

part  of  the  sixteenth  century,  subsequent  to  which  event  the 
vessel  must  have  received  its  christening.  The  period  of  her 
cruise  is  therefore  set  down,  with  much  confidence,  after,  but 
not  long  after,  the  year  of  our  Lord  1525. 

There  is  no  account  anywhere  found  in  all  the  Spanish  ar 
chives  of  her  return,  and  the  presumption  is  raised  that  she  was 
lost,  with  all  on  board,  on  her  way  home,  somewhere  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean — an  occurrence  by  no  means  uncommon  in  those 
times.  If  such  was  unfortunately  the  case,  Manuelo,  after  all, 
though  alone  stricken  down,  was  the  only  lucky  man  of  the 
crew. 

It  is  not  even  known  to  this  day  where  the  Don  Carlos  Le 
Grande  was  fitted  out,  nor  by  whom,  nor  yet  who  was  her  mas 
ter;*  but  that  she  was  an  armed  vessel,  and  on  a  voyage  of 
exploration,  is  clear  enough,  both  from  the  account  of  Manuelo 
himself,  and  from  the  testimony  of  the  Dominican  friar,  as 
transmitted  through  this  old  Evora  manuscript. 

Had  the  Don  Carlos  been  a  piratical  cruiser,  Manuelo  might 
not  have  disclosed  that  fact  to  Confessor  Justino;  but  his  ex 
cellence  of  character,  as  everywhere  developed,  is  of  itself  a 
sufficient  refutation  of  any  such  uncharitable  assumption.  His 
uniform  kindness  of  heart  repels  the  idea  at  once  that  he 
could  ever  have  been  engaged  in  the  wicked  pursuit  of  a  buc 
caneer,  and  the  bare  suggestion  of  such  a  thing  calls  for  an 
apology  to  his  memory,  which  we  freely  render. 

Whatever  his  companions,  who  so  basely  deserted  him  on 
the  beach,  may  have  been,  it  is  certain  enough  that  Manuelo 
himself  could  never  have  been  a  pirate  at  heart,  and  we  hasten 
to  exonerate  him  from  any  such  wicked  suspicion. 


*  Since  the  completion  of  the  translation,  it  has  been  suggested  that 
the  ship  was  commanded  by  either  Cortez,  Ulloa,  or  Cabrillo,  each  of 
whom  was  in  that  part  of  the  Pacific  between  1535  and  1541;  but  a  mere 
translator  is  at  liberty  to  indulge  in  no  opinions  of  his  own,  and  therefore 
I  express  none. 


28  CALIFORNIA 

VIII. 
THE  SUBJECT  RESUMED. 

THE  place  where  Manuelo  and  his  shipmates  landed  was 
to  the  north  of  the  entrance  of  the  great  harbor,  probably  sev 
eral  leagues  away,  and  on  the  westerly  side.  A  sailor  never 
fails  to  note  and  seldom  forgets  the  points  of  compass,  and  to 
this  circumstance  must  be  attributed  our  own  good  fortune  in 
being  able  to  designate  with  reasonable  certainty  the  quarter 
of  the  Bay  where  the  debarkation  took  place.  Without  doubt 
it  was  not  far  from  the  site  of  some  one  of  those  charming 
villages  which  adorn  the  great  interior  waters  of  California; 
but  whether  near  where  the  lovely  village  of  San  Rafael  now 
nestles  among  the  wood-clad  hills  of  Marin;  or  where  Peta- 
luma  reposes,  intoxicated  with  the  sweet  fragrance  of  a  per 
petual  summer;  or  where  the  village  of  Napa  luxuriates 
amidst  her  soul-Inspiring  vines,  may  never  be  known,  for  there 
is  nothing  in  the  manuscript  to  guide  the  translator  to  the 
exact  locality,  and  the  matter  must  ever  remain  enveloped  in 
some  uncertainty. 

But  after  all  it  is  less  essential  to  ascertain  the  precise  spot 
first  approached  than  it  is  to  know  that  a  landing  was  actually 
effected  by  Christian  white  men  upon  the  shores  of  San  Fran 
cisco  Bay,  more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  Our 
own  opinion  is  that  it  occurred  not  far  from  where  the  flourish 
ing  town  of  Petaluma  now  stands,  and  that  the  early  inhabit 
ants  of  Sonoma  Valley  first  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  a  sojourn 
among  them  of  Manuelo;  though  it  must  be  confessed  that  if 
Napa  had  been  more  accessible  to  the  sea,  her  residents  might 
well  dispute  the  honor,  for  it  is  related  that  during  his  stay  in  that 
vicinity,  frequent  excursions  were  made  with  hunting  parties 
to  the  interior,  and  through  a  most  delightful  region,  the  de 
scription  of  which,  as  given,  would  apply  as  well  to  the  one  as 
to  the*  other. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  29 

The  valley  visited  is  represented  as  one  in  which  all  nature 
sported  in  primitive  loveliness.  It  was  covered  entirely  over 
with  a  carpet  of  green,  and  was  embellished  in  the  spring  of 
the  year  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  of  every  color,  giving  it,  when 
viewed  from  a  distance,  as  Manuelo  aptly  expressed  it,  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  piece  of  the  costliest  tapestry.  To  add  to  its 
magnificence,  the  plain  was  studded,  at  convenient  intervals, 
with  groups  of  wide-spreading  evergreen  oaks,  the  whole  dif 
fering  not  essentially  from  an  extended  park  in  the  countries 
of  Europe. 

.  The  mountains  on  either  hand  though  high  were  not  pre 
cipitous,  and  were  covered  with  a  growth  of  graceful  pine  and 
fir  trees,  which,  whenever  approached,  were  found  to  be  vocal 
with  the  songs  of  birds.  The  valley  itself  was  enlivened  by 
the  presence  of  whole  herds  of  deer  and  antelope,  remarkable 
for  their  tameness,  and  countless  numbers  of  skurrying  rabbits 
were  darting  hither  and  thither  in  the  exuberance  of  their 
playfulness.  The  place  seemed  to  the  romantic  Manuelo  a 
veritable  paradise,  ever  exhibiting  its  attractiveness  in  entranc 
ing  profusion.  But  if  captivating  to  him,  it  was  even  more  so 
to  the  simple  children  of  nature,  in  whose  company  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  resorting  to  its  peaceful  shades,  not  less  for  pleas 
ure  than  in  the  pursuit  of  game. 

IX. 

THE  ABANDONMENT. 

THE  Don  Carlos  Le  Grande  remained  in  the  Bay  some 
days  after  the  loss  of  Manuelo,  but  was  constantly  cruising 
about  in  pursuance,  it  may  have  been,  of  her  first  purpose  of 
obtaining  a  supply  of  fresh  water,  of  which,  as  we  know,  she 
was  in  need.  But  whether  she  obtained  it,  or  exactly  what 
course  she  afterwards  pursued,  Manuelo  could  never  ascertain 
from  the  natives.  He  was  made  aware  at  the  time  of  her 


30  CALIFORNIA 

delay,  and  hoped  it  might  be  continued  until  he  should  be 
sufficiently  recovered  of  his  wounds  to  enable  him  to  reach 
her  deck  once  more,  but  in  this,  alas  !  he  was  doomed  to 
disappointment.  Not  recuperating  sufficiently  while  she  re 
mained  in  those  waters  to  hold  communication  with  her,  he 
saw  the  ship  no  more.  Her  little  experience,  resulting,  as  we 
know,  in  the  loss  of  one  man  and  probably  in  the  wounding 
of  others,  admonished  her  captain  to  give  the  place  where 
Manuelo  was  left  a  wide  berth,  as  the  sailors  phrase  it. 

The  survival  of  their  companion,  whom  they  had  left  for 
dead,  must  have  been  entirely  foreign  to  the  thoughts  of  his 
shipmates,  but  Manuelo  himself  was  not  equally  disposed  to 
forgetfulness.  He  continued  anxiously  to  look  for  her  white 
sails  long  after  his  restoration  to  health,  and  when  in  all  prob 
ability  the  ship  was  hundreds  of  leagues  away  on  the  ocean. 

With  her  departure,  had  he  known  it,  would  have  vanished 
all  hope  of  ever  again  seeing  his  native  country,  and  it  was  well 
for  his  happiness  that  he  remained  in  ignorance  of  the  event, 
at  least  until  he  might  learn  to  appreciate,  as  he  finally  did,  the 
kindness  of  the  people  in  whose  hands  he  had  fallen.  But 
contentment,  like  confidence,  is  a  plant  of  slow  growth,  and 
the  soil  in  which  it  was  now  struggling  for  existence  was,  to  say 
the  least,  not  wholly  congenial.  Homesickness  is  induced  by 
no  definable  circumstances,  nor  does  it  pertain  to  any  particu 
lar  race.  It  is  a  malady  to  which  all  mankind  alike  are  sub 
ject.  A  savage  in  the  palace  of  a  king  would  surfer  from  it  as 
poignantly  as  an  exile  in  the  bleak  forests  of  Siberia,  and  Man 
uelo,  though,  for  the  best  of  reasons,  as  much  pleased  at  times 
where  he  was  as  thousands  have  since  been  in  the  same  local 
ity,  could  never  entirely  obliterate  from  his  memory  the  scenes 
of  his  childhood.  It  was  not  therefore  on  account  of  dissatis 
faction  with  the  country,  nor  yet  for  ingratitude  towards  his 
benefactors,  as  Justino  is  careful  to  inform  us,  that  he  was  led 
to  hope  that  the  time  would  arrive  when  he  could  make  his 


350  YEARS  AGO.  31 

escape  from  a  land  even  then  as  beautiful  as  Eden,  and  which 
was  destined  in  the  far-distant  future  to  become  extremely  at 
tractive  to  all  the  rest  of  mankind. 

X. 

PROVIDENTIAL. 

WHAT  with  good  nursing  and  care,  as  already  hinted, 
Manuelo,  in  a  couple  of  months,  was  sufficiently  healed  of  his 
wounds  to  move  forth  in  the  world;  and  in  the  meantime  he 
was  not  neglectful  in  acquiring  information  concerning  this 
singular  people.  His  estimation  of  their  character  underwent 
a  complete  change.  In  fact,  he  found  them,  when  properly 
approached,  so  far  from  being  blood-thirsty  savages,  as  at  first 
regarded,  to  be  extremely  gentle,  and  possessed  of  hearts  over 
flowing  with  the  milk  of  human  kindness.  It  became  appar 
ent  to  him  that  their  attack  upon  the  boat's  crew  was  the  result 
of  misapprehension,  and  merely  the  outburst  of  just  indignation 
for  the  injury  wantonly  inflicted  on  one  of  their  number.  It 
is  an  improbable  supposition,  but  the  theory  nevertheless  was 
indulged  in  by  the  Portuguese  priests,  that  the  sailor  who  threw 
the  first  weapon  may  have  remained  under  the  delusion  that 
the  skulking  Indian  was  really  a  wild  animal  of  some  sort,  a. 
belief  rendered  barely  possible  by  the  fact  of  his  having  been 
clad  in  skins.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  conduct  of  the  sailor 
appeared  in  its  results  to  be  disastrous  to  the  last  degree,  nearly 
costing,  as  it  did,  Manuelo  his  life.  But  however  it  may  have 
appeared  at  the  time,  it  can  hardly  be  denied  now  that  good 
eventually  resulted  from  the  affair. 

It  is  written,  as  Justino remarked,  that  "man  shall  do  no  evil 
that  good  may  follow,"  but  it  is  always  safe  to  leave  the 
result  of  one's  actions  to  an  overruling  Providence.  In  this 
instance  an  apparant  disaster  certainly  opened  .up  to  mankind 
the  remote  history  of  an  extremely  interesting  country,  which 
history  otherwise  must  have  remained  in  obscurity  forever. 


32  CALIFORNIA 

XL 

THE    PEOPLE   DESCRIBED. 

THOLTGH  not  particularly  tall,  the  natives  were  well 
formed,  athletic,  and  agile.  P'or  an  Indian  race  their  complex 
ion  was  unusually  light  and  their  features  regular.  They  were, 
upon  the  whole,  a  comely  people.  Their  hair,  as  black  as  the 
raven's  wing,  grew  to  great  length,  and  was  closely  coiled  on 
the  top  of  the  head  by  the  women,  and  by  the  men  braided  in 
a  queue,  much  after  the  manner  of  the  Chinese.  The  gay 
plumage  of  birds,  curiously  wrought,  constituted  the  principal 
head  ornamentation  of  both"  sexes;  but  it  was  the  custom  of 
the  women  and  girls  to  indulge  in  wild  flowers  also,  in  their 
season,  for  the  purposes  of  adornment.  The  appearance  of 
the  people  on  festive  occasions,  when  gathered  together  in 
large  numbers,  and  particularly  when  engaged  in  a  lively  dance, 
was  extremely  picturesque. 

Always  proud  of  their  embellishments,  these  children  of  the 
forest  were,  probably,  the  only  people  in  all  the  world  who  did 
not  regard  some  others  as  more  fortunate  than  themselves. 
Being  entirely  satisfied  with  their  condition,  and  limited  posses 
sions,  the  passion  of  envy  was  a  stranger  to  their  bosoms. 
Even  the  young  women  were  moved  with  sincere  delight  by 
the  more  brilliant  appearance  of  their  companions,  and  were 
unremitting  in  their  exertions  to  add  to  the  attractions  of  each 
other.  Tne  dark-eyed  maidens  of  the  Spanish  race  of  that 
day  not  unfrequently  essayed  exhibitions  of  equal  generosity; 
but  their  real  sentiments  were  too  often  betrayed  by  the  illy- 
concealed  manifestations  of  malignity.  Nothing  of  the  kind, 
however,  was  ever  observed  by  Manuelo  in  the  expressions  of 
these  more  tender-hearted  and  better-bred  women  of  early 
California. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  33 

XII. 

MATRIMONIAL   AFFAIRS. 

IN  pursuance  of  an  old  established  custom  of  these  Indians, 
all  matrimonial  alliances  among  them  were  contracted  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  united  judgment  of  the  leading  people  of 
the  village,  and  nothing,  in  that  regard,  was  left  to  blind  passion, 
or  the  foolish  indiscretion  of  youth.  It  was  observed  by  Man- 
uelo  that  alliances  thus  publicly  formed  were  maintained  with 
the  utmost  fidelity,  and  any  violation  of  them  was  visited  with 
the  severest  penalties. 

Their  children,  though  few  in  numbers,  were  remarkably 
robust,  sickness  being  almost  unknown  among  them.  Pater 
nal  no  less  than  filial  affection  was  a  distinguishing  feature  of 
their  peculiar  civilization,  and  manifestations  of  love,  of  both 
kinds,  were  most  common  among  them.  A  want  of  care  for 
their  young  by  the  mothers  was  never  observed,  and  the  dom 
ination  of  the  fathers,  though  sufficiently  absolute,  was  always 
marked  with  tenderness. 

The  chief  of  the  tribe,  alone  of  them  all,  indulged  in  a 
plurality  of  wives;  and  to  him  were  allotted  two,  and  no  more. 
The  selection  of  these  was  not  accorded  to  that  high  function 
ary  any  more  than  in  other  cases  of  matrimony  in  the  village; 
but  the  wives  of  the  chief  were  chosen  for  him  at  a  council  of 
the  people,  in  which  the  high  priest  acted  a  most  conspicuous 
part.  On  these  interesting  occasions  of  the  selection  of  wives 
for  the  young  men,  which  occurred  at  the  season  of  the  year 
when  the  flowers  were  in  bloom,  the  prophet  would  assume,  as 
a  general  rule,  to  be  advised  and  directed  in  the  choice  by  the 
spirits  of  the  departed  friends  of  the  parties;  but  whether  he 
was  really  and  truly  so  influenced  or  not,  Manuelo  was  unable 
to  say,  and  Justino  ever  remained  in  doubt  upon  the  point; 
nevertheless,  we  have  the  assurance  of  the  keen-eyed  stranger, 
that  the  selections  thus  made  were  uniformly  marked  with 


34  CALIFORNIA 

wisdom,  and,  moreover,  that  marriages  so  contracted  were 
sometimes  highly  spiritual  in  their  results,  as  instanced  in  his 
own  particular  case,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel. 

After  betrothals  effected  in  this  manner,  months,  and  even 
years,  would  often  elapse,  precisely  the  same  as  in-  Christian 
countries,  before  a  final  consummation  of  the  unions,  during 
all  of  which  time  the  parties  engaged  would  remain  irrevoca 
bly  bound  to  each  other,  in  this  respect  differing  somewhat 
from  the  practice  prevailing  in  many  of  the  more  enlightened 
nations  of  the  world,  where  engagements  of  marriage  are  only 
voluntary. 

XIII. 

THEIR   HABITATIONS. 

THE  houses  of  the  chief — for  as  he  was  furnished  with  two 
wives  so  two  houses  must  needs  be  provided  for  him — or 
lodges,  perhaps,  more  properly  to  be  called — and  the  lodge  of 
the  prophet,  were  centrally  located  in  reference  to  the  others 
of  the  village  and  were  placed  upon  the  highest  part  of  a  huge 
mound,  which  seemed,  to  the  observing  Manuelo,  artificial  in  its 
formation;  but  how  or  when  constructed,  or  by  whom,  or  for 
what  purpose,  he  could  come  to  no  satisfactory  conclusion, 
and  so  the  matter  is  left  to  the  determination  of  archeological 
societies. 

The  dwellings  of  these  functionaries  were  surrounded  by 
hundreds  of  other  domiciles,  but  all  erected  with  care  and 
•arranged  with  a  fair  degree  of  regularity  and  taste.  Each  of 
these  lodges  was  tenanted  by  a  single  family,  and  each 
possessed  many  of  the  characteristics,  if  not  the  conveniences, 
of  a  European  home. 

The  site  of  the  village  was  originally  selected  in  reference- 
to  a  stream  of  pure  water,  and  no  pains  were  wanting  on  the 
part  of  the  people  to  keep  good  its  supply.  To  avoid  the 
danger  of  a  possible  diminution  of  the  stream  by  drought, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  35 

pits  were  »ink  and  dams  erected  at  convenient  intervals  along 
the  channel  of  the  rivulet.  Nothing  was  permitted  to  impede 
the  water's  pure  flow,  and  access  to  the  same  was  never 
obstructed.  Their  only  means  of  handling  the  water  was  in 
baskets  closely  woven  and  lined  with  pitch.  In  these  it  was 
borne  with  safety  and  kept  indefinitely.  These  vessels,  made 
of  reeds  and  grass,  were  of  all  sizes,  of  many  shapes,  and  ex 
tremely  useful.  Even  cooking  was  accomplished  he  said  by 
casting  a  succession  of  heated  stones  in  them,  when  partly 
filled  with  water,  by  which  means  the  fluid  was  kept  boiling  as 
long  as  desired  and  until  the  contents  of  the  basket,  whether 
vegetables  or  flesh,  were  fitted  for  food. 

As  with  most  nations,  the  domestic  duties  were  performed 
by  the  women,  but  unlike  the  practice  with  many  other  people, 
both  savage  and  civilized,  the  men  were  in  the  habit  of  ap 
plauding  their  wives'  exertions,  and  alleviating  their  labors 
by  words  and  acts  of  kindness.  Their  politeness  was  not  of 
that  hollow  sort  made  up  of  pretensions;  it  partook  largely  of 
genuine,  self-sacrificing  benevolence,  leading  Justino  to  the 
conclusion  that  by  proper  exertions  they  could  be  converted 
into  most  excellent  Christians,  a  work  he  had  at  heart,  but 
which,  unfortunately,  he  was  never  permitted  to  accomplish. 

XIV. 

THEIR     NAMES. 

THIS  particular  tribe  about  which  the  story  has  thus  far 
been  running  was  called  the  Yonos,  which  is  the  Indian 
name  in  that  country  for  deer.  It  was,'  doubtless,  bestowed 
upon  them,  or  assumed,  by  reason  of  their  swiftness  of  foot; 
and  there  was  equal  significance  in  the  names  of  the  individual 
members  of  the  tribe,  whether  male  or  female.  As  to  the 
children,  they  were  allowed  to  go  without  any  certain  appella 
tion,  except  that  each  was  known  by  a  name  sounding  not  un- 


36  CALIFORNIA 

like  that  of  its  father  or  motherj  according  to  the  sex,  until,  in 
advancing  years,  some  particular  characteristic  was  developed, 
when  a  fitting  appellation  was  given,  by  which  the  individual 
ever  afterwards  would  be  known. 

The  name  of  the  maiden  selected  at  a  grand  council  of  the 
village  for  the  wife  of  Manuelo  was  Nona,  applied  to  her  be 
cause  of  some  resemblance  to  the  quail,  she  being  of  an  ex 
ceedingly  shy  and  untamable  disposition.  But  it  ought  to  be 
mentioned  in  this  connection,  inasmuch  as  Manuelo  himself 
was  emphatic  upon  the  point,  that  he  never  considered  it  worth 
while  to  try  to  capture  the  girl,  since,  as  he  affirmed,  even  be 
fore  her  selection,  he  had  perfected  his  plans,  and,  so  far  as  he 
was  able,  made  arrangements  to  abandon  the  village  of  the 
Yonos  for  a  more  congenial  residence. 

From  the  descriptions  of  the  city  over  the  Bay  he  concluded 
it  would  be  more  agreeable  to  his  tastes  to  reside  there.  This 
he  protested  to  the  Father  Confessor  was  the  only  reason  for 
his  coolness,  or,  more  correctly  to  speak,  for  his  want  of  ardor 
towards  his  betrothed,  and  he  asseverated  repeatedly,  and  with 
earnestness,  that  his  conduct  towards  Nona  was  not  to  be 
attributed  to  the  fact  of  her  being  the  choice  of  others  only 
for  his  wife.  Had  the  privilege  been  left  to  'him  to  make  a 
selection  from  all  the  damsels  of  the  village,  he  acknowledged 
it  would  have  fallen  on  another,  for  there  were  in  IT  is  eyes 
more  comely  persons,  and  those  who,  at  the  same  time,  were 
less  disposed  to  avoid  his  company.  One  in  particular  who 
had  been  most  attentive  during  his  confinement,  but  whose 
name  is  not  given,  so  won  upon  his  regard  that  the  recollection 
of  her  ever  afterwards  remained  fresh  in  his  memory,  as  he 
confessed.  This  person  scrupled  not,  on  all  fitting  occasions. 
to  exhibit  towards  him  her  good  temper;  and  the  difference  in 
the  demeanor  of  the  two  extorted  from  Manuelo  the  reflection 
that  kindness  grudgingly  bestowed  is  seldom  grateful,  while  a 
spirit  of  generosity  increases  the  reward  many  fold.  Bounties 


350  YEARS  AGO.  37 

conferred  with  an  unwilling  hand  are  shorn  of  half  their  value, 
while  the  smallest  favor  proceeding  from  a  full  heart  assumes 
the  amplest  proportions. 

From  the  manner  of  Manuelo  in  detailing  this  part  of  his 
experience,  the  confidence  of  Friar  Justino  in  his  magnanimity 
was  somewhat  impaired,  and  it  can  easily  be  imagined  that 
this  interposition  of  the  Yono  people  in  a  matter  and  manner 
adverse  to  his  tastes,  tended  not  a  little  to  increase  his  desire 
to  leave  them.  While  his  gallantry  might  have  stood  in  the 
way  of  his  admitting  the  facts,  it  is  fair  to  conclude  that  this 
action  of  the  tribe  had  much  influence  in  hastening  his  de 
parture.  But  justice  compels  the  acknowledgment  that  he 
would  in  all  probability  have  left  the  Yonos  had  he  never  even 
heard  of  the  maiden.  But  more  upon  this  subject  in  the  next 
chapter. 

XV. 

A   DOUBTFUL    TRICK. 

THE  assignment  of  a  wife  by  the  village  council  being  equiv 
alent,  under  the  strange  customs  of  that  country,  to  actual  mar 
riage,  and  being  looked  upon  as  a  most  sacred  obligation,  it 
was  not  surprising  to  find,  on  the  part  of  the  leading  people  of 
the  tribe,  the  strongest  opposition  to  his  departure.  As  soon 
as  his  purpose  became  known,  and  it  was  in  vain  for  him  to 
attempt  to  conceal  it,  obstacles  were  thrown  in  his  way,  and 
the  persistency  of  the  people  in  thwarting  his  purpose  led  to 
much  embarrassment. 

The  large  town  on  which  his  heart  was  set  lay  leagues  away, 
and  the  only  means  of  reaching  it,  so  far  as  could  be  perceived, 
was  by  water.  As  time  rolled  by  he  became  convinced  that 
the  longer  the  delay  the  greater  would  be  the  difficulty  in  his 
escape.  The  matter  was  the  subject  of  discussion  everywhere, 
and  he  could  plainly  see  that  complications  were  increasing. 
He  had  often  heard,  in  his  youthful  days,  that  delays  were 


38  CALIFORNIA 

dangerous,  but  he  never  till  now  realized  the  full  meaning  of 
the  saying.  To  tear  himself  abruptly  away  he  felt  would  be 
to  sorely  offend  the  Yonos,  and  to  attempt  flight  surreptitiously 
by  seizing  one  of  the  canoes,  of  which  a  number  were  always 
moored  by  the  shore,  might  prove  fatal  to  his  plans,  for,  in  that 
event,  he  would  surely  be  pursued,  and,  if  overtaken,  which  was 
but  too  likely,  would  be  punished. 

Reconnoiteringthe  great  Bay,  as  opportunity  offered,  in  either 
direction  far  up  and  down  its  borders,  and  thus  satisfying  him 
self  beyond  pervadenture  that  to  pass  around  it  by  land  to 
the  north  or  south  was  quite  impossible,  he  was  compelled,  as 
it  were,  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  to  resort  to  a  species  of 
strategy,  justifiable,  it  may  be,  but  which  the  pious  Justino  was 
convinced  would  have  been  highly  reprehensible  had  it  been 
practiced  upon  a  more  enlightened  and  Christian  community. 
Instead  of  appealing  directly  to  their  reason,  as  possibly  he 
might  have  done  with  success,  he  cunningly  wrought  upon  their 
heathenish  credulity  in  a  manner  we  are  about  to  relate. 

Well  knowing  the  belief  of  this  people  in  all  manner  of  su 
pernatural  interpositions,  and  their  faith  as  well  in  admonitions 
from  heavenly  quarters,  the  crafty  Manuelo  falsely  pretended 
to  hold  communications  with  the  spirits  of  his  deceased 
friends  and  to  be  directed  by  them.  In  order  to  make  this 
imposition  the  more  complete  he  accustomed  himself  to  imi 
tate,  as  nearly  as  he  was  able,  the  incantations  of  the  high  priest 
himself,  going  through  a  variety  of  ceremonies  which  seemed 
to  be  understood  by  the  natives  themselves ;  but  to  these  he 
added  certain  maneuvers  entirely  his  own,  and  by  such  con 
duct  imposed  upon  the  credulity  of  those  simple-minded  vil 
lagers. 

Fortunately  for  him,  when  stricken  down  upon  the  beach, 
he  had  retained  upon  his  person,  besides  a  cutlas  of  Moorish 
pattern  more  than  a  vara  in  length,  a  pair  of  large  Spanish 
pistols,  and  likewise  a  few  rounds  of  ammunition.  Of  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  39 

latter  he  had  been  exceedingly  careful,  knowing  full  well  that 
when  it  was  gone  there  would  be  no  possibility  of  renewing  his 
stock.  From  the  first  he  had  concealed  from  the  natives  the 
use  of  these  arms,  apprehensive  lest,  should  they  become 
instructed  in  handling  them,  he  would  be  deprived  of  their 
use  altogether,  or  at  least  be  compelled  by  their  childish  curi 
osity  to  exhaust  his  last  grain  of  powder,  in  which  case  the 
pistols  would  have  lost  all  their  value  to  him.  Impelled  by  such 
motives  he  had  already  taught  the  natives,  both  young  and  old, 
to  look  upon  the  weapons  as  something  sacred,  little  dream 
ing  at  the  time  how  important  and  peculiar  an  end  was  to  be  sub 
served  by  the  lesson.  Prudent  man  tr^at  he  was,  he  never  forgot 
how  indispensable  these  firelocks  might  be  to  his  safety  in  some 
conflict,  it  might  be  with  man,  it  might  be  with  fourfooted 
beast.  Had  Manuelo  been  as  vainglorious  as  many  another 
sailor  would  have  shown  himself  to  be  under  similar  circum 
stances,  he  would  have  taken  delight  in  surprising  the  Indians 
by  experimenting  with  his  pistols  in  their  presence  long  before 
there  was  any  occasion  for  his  doing  so.  But,  thanks  to  his 
good  sense,  his  few  rounds  of  powder  were  preserved,  and 
proved  useful  in  a  direction  little  anticipated  by  him,  as  we 
shall  presently  see. 

In  addition  to  the  impressive  ceremonies  usually  adopted 
by  the  natives  for  the  citation  of  spirits,  Manuelo  made  full 
preparation  for  firing  off  one  of  his  pistols  at  a  certain  stage 
of  the  proceedings,  and  for  kindling  a  fixe  at  the  same  time 
with  the  burning  powder.  And  though  he  warned  the  people 
beforehand,  as  well  as  he  was  able,  of  what  he  intended  to  do, 
and,  after  the  manner  of  jugglers,  required  them  to  join  at  a 
particular  time  in  the  performance  of  his  trick,  yet  it  seems 
they  could  have  formed  no  adequate  conception  of  his  pur 
pose,  for  when  the  explosion  took  place  the  spectators,  more 
than  -astonished,  fell  prostrate  upon  the  ground,  hiding  their 
faces  in  their  hands.  To  say  that  they  were,  one  and  all, 


40  CALIFORNIA 

completely  dumfounded,  would  be  to  express  what  occurred 
in  the  most  moderate  language. 

Differing  from  the  Spiritualists  of  later  times,  these  held 
their  meetings  in  the  open  air,  and  under  the  spreading  branches 
of  some  ancient  oak.  Their  mystical  performances,  though 
in  the  night-time,  were  open  and  above-board.  The  priest, 
who,  in  this  particular  instance,  be  it  remembered,  was  the 
irreverent  Manuelo  himself,  occupied  a  mound  constructed 
partly  of  stones  near  the  sacred  oak.  By  his  side  stood  a  rude 
altar,  upon  which,  during  the  ceremony,  a  fire  was  usually 
lighted;  but  by  the  direction  of  Manuelo  this  fire  had  now  been 
carefully  extinguished.  We  have  said  there  were  no  prepara 
tions  made  for  hiding  anything  from  the  assembled  multitude, 
and,  indeed,  on  this  occasion  there  was  not  the  slightest  neces 
sity  for  concealment,  since  a  far  greater  wonder  to  them  than 
visible  spirits  could  have  been  was  the  terrible  power  of  gun 
powder.  A  heavy  clap  of  thunder  from  the  clear  blue  sky  of 
that  summer  evening  would  not  have  astonished  them  more. 
In  fact,  the  poor,  ignorant  barbarians  believed  from  that 
moment  that  their  stranger  friend  could  command,  at  will,  the 
artillery  of  heaven.  Combustible  material,  laid  by  Manuelo 
in  advance  upon  the  altar,  was  set  on  fire  by  the  explosion, 
and  the  amazement  of  the  people  at  the  report  of  the  pistol 
was  a  thousand  times  increased  when  they  saw  a  fire  blaze  forth, 
apparently  created  instantaneously  from  nothing. 

The  force  of  genius  is  irresistible,  and  Manuelo  was  no 
longer  a  prisoner.  He  had  conquered  his  liberty.  From  that 
hour  he  was  able  to  command  and  direct  in  whatsoever  he 
would.  The  Indians  seemed  to  forget  that  he  had  once  been 
a  helpless,  wounded  sailor;  they  now  regarded  him  as  little 
less  than  divine.  The  women  almost  worshiped  him,  and 
Nona  herself  ceased,  in  a  measure,  her  foolish  coquetry.  From 
that  time  all  the  prerogatives  of  the  high  priest  and  chief  com 
bined  were  accorded  him.  Without  difficulty  he  caused  his 


350  YEARS  AGO.  41 

admiring  friends  to  believe  that  he  was  divinely  inspired  to 
leave  them,  and  all  opposition  to  his  departure  subsided.  It 
was  with  reluctance,  nevertheless,  that  they  consented  to  the 
loss  of  so  renowned  a  person  as  he  was  regarded,  and  not  until 
a  faithful  promise  had  been  extorted  from  him  that  at  some 
time  he  would  return  to  them,  a  promise  which  truth  compels 
us  to  acknowledge  he  never  intended  to  fulfill.  He  did 
return,  however,  though  long  afterwards,  with  great  gladness, 
and  under  circumstances  so  strange  as  to  leave  on  the  mind  of 
the  good  Justino  the  impression  ^that  it  was  intended  in  some 
sense  by  Providence  as  a  punishment  for  his  perfidy. 

XVI. 

HIS   DEPARTURE. 

IN  pursuance  of  his  plans,  Manuelo  at  an  early  day  bade 
his  Yono  friends,  not  forgetting  his  betrothed,  a  gentle  adios, 
for  a  trip  across  the  broad  Bay.  Clad  in  the  best  robes  the 
natives  could  furnish,  and  crowned  with  a  tiara,  woven  of  the 
brightest  of  feathers,  by  the  fairest  of  hands,  he  was  placed  in 
the  middle  of  a  large  canoe  and  paddled  by  stalwart  men  in 
the  direction  of  the  greater  village.  Armed  with  his  trusty 
saber,  which  hung  by  his  side,  and  with  loaded  pistols,  Manuelo 
felt  like  a  veritable  prince  of  the  realm.  But  the  result  showed 
that  he  presumed  more  than  was  warranted  upon  his  newly- 
achieved  dignity,  for  his  approach  being  observed  from  the 
other  side,  he  was  menacingly  repelled  and  not  permitted  to 
come  within  rods  of  the  land.  Neither  the  head  chief  him 
self  nor  his  followers  had  ever  so  much  as  heard  of  the  Span 
iard,  and  from  his  curious  appearance  they  feared  he  might  be 
some  hostile  prince,  from  a  long  way  off,  come  upon  some 
mission  they  could  not  divine,  and  which  they  feared  might 
bode  them  evil.  His  Yono  companions  were  not  entirely 
unknown  in  that  country,  for  their  tribe  was  really  but  a  branch 


42  CALIFORNIA 

of  the  same  great  nation,  and  acknowledged  allegiance  to  this 
king.  To  be  compelled  to  remain  hi  the  boat  while  his  men 
were  permitted  to  land,  was  no  less  humiliating  than  unex 
pected  to  Manuelo,  and  at  first  this  treatment  disposed  him, 
in  true  Spanish  style,  and  with  weapon  in  hand,  to  enforce  a 
landing.  This  purpose  he  would  doubtless  have  carried  into 
execution,  regardless  of  the  cost  to  himself,  but  for  the  timely 
remonstrance  of  a  member  of  his  crew,  better  known  on  the 
shore  than  the  rest,  having  been  at  this  place  before.  This 
cool-headed  person  at  last  succeeded  in  persuading  his  master 
to  possess  his  soul  in  patience  for  a  time,  and  until  himself  and 
another  could  proceed  to  the  king's  headquarters  and  thus 
pave  the  way  for  an  interview.  Better  counsels  prevailing  with 
Manuelo,  he  contented  himself  on  the  wave  while  his  t\vo 
companions  sought  out  the  dignified  chief  in  the  city  not  dis 
tant,  and  laid  before  him  an  account  of  the  marvelous  achieve 
ments  of  the  stranger;  the  result  of  which  was  that  in  a  shjrt 
time  the  king,  attended  by  a  large  retinue  of  his  subjects,  him 
self  in  the  van,  came  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  welcome  the 
stranger  ashore.  Their  approach  was  surveyed  by  Manuelo 
at  first  with  misgivings,  but  he  was  soon  made  at  ease,  where 
he  sat,  by  such  demonstrations  of  good-will  on  the  part  of  the 
king  as  the  grandeur  of  his  character  would  allow.  The  visitor 
was  conducted  at  once  to  the  great  wigwam  of  the  chief,  on 
the  top  of  a  high  mound,  in  the  center  of  the  town.  His 
familiarity  with  the  Indian  dialect,  already  acquired,  put  Man 
uelo  upon  terms  at  court  without  the  usual  delay,  as  he  alleged. 
It  is  possible  the  story  told  by  the  men  who  preceded  him, 
touching  the  wonderful  powers  of  Manuelo  to  create  thunder 
and  lightning,  to  kindle  a.  fire  at  will,  and  to  invoke  the  spirits, 
may  have  contributed  not  a  little  to  his  welcome  by  the  king, 
for  it  is  hardly  presumable  that  a  mere  stranger,  unaided  by 
reputation,  would  be  received,  in  so  short  a  time,  on  terms  of 
familiarity  at  any  court,  savage  or  civilized.  The  treatment 


350  YEARS  AGO.  43 

Manuelo  experienced  was  all  that  could  have  been  desired. 
Not  only  was  he  awarded  an  apartment  by  himself  in  the 
chiefs  groat  lodge,  but  he  was  furnished  with  attendants  to 
observe  his  every  want.  In  the  manuscript  occurred  the 
equivalent  of  the  expression  so  often  repeated  since,  that  he  was 
the  observed  of  all  observers.  The  first  white  man  that  had  ever 
set  foot  in  that  considerable  capital,  he  was,  of  course,  the 
special  wonder  of  the  inhabitants.  It  was  the  principal  ambi 
tion  of  the  men  to  observe  his  actions,  and  of  the  women  to 
note  his  style  of  dress.  The  curiosity  of  the  children  fore 
shadowed  at  first  so  much  of  annoyance  to  Manuelo  that  he 
found  it  advisable  to  "assume  much  more  reserve  towards 
them  than  naturally  belonged  to  his  character  He  was,  how 
ever,  now  no  longer  a  seaman,  but  in  truth,  in  this  country,  a 
prince  and  a  prophet.  With  pistols,  and  powder,  and  pru.lence, 
he  expected  to  maintain  this  character,  but  without  these,  or 
deprived  of  either  of  them,  he  was  in  danger  of  losing  his 
standing.  It  was  a  subject  of  no  little  solicitude  with  him, 
therefore,  as  with  all  countries  in  those  days,  to  preserve  both 
his  dignity  and  his  weapons,  not  that  he  needed  either  for  his 
protection,  for,  in  the  event  of  a  collision,  this  brave  race,  in 
spite  of  his  arms,  would  have  overpowered  him  in  a  moment; 
but  they  were  required  for  show, — his  side  arms  on  state  occa 
sions,  it  might  be,  and  his  pistols  for  a  service  not  known  to 
other  kings  arid  courts,  but  nevertheless  well  understood  by 
Manuelo. 

XVII. 

HIS  MAJESTY. 

THE  Indian  name  of  the  king,  for  some  unaccountable 
reason,  is  not  given  by  Father  Justino,  but  the  meaning  of  it, 
according  to  the  authority,  was  bear-slayer — an  appellation  be 
stowed  upon  him  on  account  of  his  skill  in  hunting  that  fe 
rocious  beast.  In  stature  he  was  among  the  largest  of  men, 
and  otherwise  distinguished  by  the  peculiarity  of  his  adorn- 


44  CALIFORNIA 

ments,  and  likewise  by  a  deep  scar  on  his  face,  the  result 
of  a  wound  inflicted  by  some  wild  animal.  He  was  a  person 
of  much  reserve  of  manner  and  quiet  dignity  when  at  home, 
but,  like  his  warriors,  was  greatly  addicted  to  manly  sports, — to 
hunting  and  fishing,  to  wrestling  and  racing, — and  with  his 
men  he  frequently  indulged  in  such  pastimes. 

In  athletic  exercises  the  king  was  seldom  surpassed,  but  if 
it  chanced  that  any,  in  such  contests,  were  able  to  excel  him, 
courtesy  and  good  breeding  forbade  their  doing  so  ;  in  this  re 
spect  imitating  people  of  the  highest  known  civilizations. 

It  was  the  custom  of  this  na'tion  to  choose  their  king  at  a 
convocation  of  warriors  from  all  the  villages,  -summoned  to 
gether  for  that  purpose  by  heralds,  sent  out  weeks  in  advance, 
an-d  long  enough  beforehand  to  allow  of  the  preparation  for  a 
great  feast  in  commemoration  of  the  event.  The  king  was 
selected  for  his  strength,  both  of  body  and  mind,  due  regard 
being  paid  likewise  to  his  manly  virtues  and  moral  worth. 
His  continuance  in  office  would  last  while  all  these  qualities 
endured  and  no  longer.  In  the  event  of  his  becoming  infirm 
by  reason  of  age  or  other  cause,  or  in  case  of  the  impairment 
of  his  intellect  or  virtues,  he  was  constrained  by  his  people  to 
retire  from  his  high  position.  When  driven  from  power,  even 
if  for  lack  of  moral  integrity,  if  not  too  flagrant,  the  deposed 
chief  would  be  permitted  to  take  refuge  in  the  priesthood,  and 
generally  to  assume  high  rank  in  that  order. 

The  present  king,  who  had  been  upon  the  throne  many 
years,  was  observed  to  incline  to  habits  of  ease.  This  was 
remarked  by  Manuelo  and  others  more  distinctly  than  by 
himself.  As  usual  with  mankind,  he  was  slow  to  perceive  and 
still  slower  to  acknowledge  his  waning  strength,  but,  not  entirely 
oblivious  of  it,  he  sought  to  conceal  his  infirmity  under  the 
cloak  of  reserve.  His  conduct,  for  this  reason,  on  all  public 
occasions,  was  marked  with  a  show  of  dignity,  which  Manuelo, 
being  a  member  of  his  household,  could  plainly  perceive  was 
more  apparent  than  real. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  45 

XVIII. 
THE  HIGH  PRIEST. 

The  chief  priest  at  the  time,  a  venerable  man,  as  full  of 
excellence  as  of  years,  had  formerly  been  king,  but  had  been 
deposed,  it  was  said,  by  reason  of  some  bodily  infirmity  and  not 
on  account  of  his  age.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  bore  the  change 
patiently  and  appeared  not  in  the  least  humiliated  by  his 
deposition,  for  of  him  it  is  related  that  he  retained  in  his  new 
sphere  all  the  gravity  that  naturally  belonged  to  both  positions. 
Had  he  really  been  endowed  with  all  the  wisdom  indicated  by 
his  manners,  a  dethronement  for  decadence  of  intellect  would 
have  been  out  of  the  question.  Such  was  the  propriety  of  his 
conduct  that  dereliction  of  duty  was  never  suspected,  and  at 
no  time  in  his  long  life  had  he  betrayed  a  lack  of  manly  virtue. 
Pokee,  for  such  was  his  name,  had  been  a  good  king,  and  he 
was  now  no  less  worthy  a  priest.  There  were  other  seers  and 
prophets  in  the  city,  all  venerable  men,  but  none  at  all  com 
parable  to  him.  It  was  observed  that  the  priests  in  that 
country  were  accustomed  to  provide  their  own  living,  after  the 
manner  enjoined  upon  all  men,  "by  the  sweat  of  the  brow," 
so  that  the  people  were  priest-ridden  in  no  sense  of  the  term. 
There  was  no  tithing  nor  taxation  in  all  that  country  in  those 
halcyon  days.  The  king  and  the  high  priest  alone  were  pub 
licly  supported,  and  that  was  done  by  voluntary  contributions, 
which  were  more  than  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  Gifts  of 
delicacies,  in  their  season,  the  best  that  the  country  afforded, 
were  liberally  bestowed  upon  these  functionaries,  and,  as  re 
marked  at  the  time,  the  generosity  of  the  people  was  greatly 
augmented  by  the  appearance  of  Manuelo  among  them. 

The  habits  and  customs  on  this  side  of  the  Bay  differed  not 
essentially  from  those  on  the  other,  excepting,  perhaps,  that 
here  everything  was  on  a  much  grander  scale.  The  laws  of 
the  whole  country,  it  is  true,  were  the  same,  and  similar  super- 


46  CALIFORNIA 

stitions  prevailed  everywhere,  but  the  religious  rites,  while,  as 
in  other  places,  performed  in  the  open  air,  were  here  more 
impressive. 

XIX. 

EMBARRASSMENTS. 

MANUELO  soon  saw7,  and  much  too  soon  for  his  peace  of 
mind,  as  many  a  fledgling  priest  in  other  lands  before  him  had 
seen,  that  much  was  to  be  learned  before  he  could  be  confi 
dent  of  success  in  his  new  calling.  He  had  shown  himself  a 
good  prophet  for  one  occasion  and  when  his  liberty  was  at 
stake,  but  it  was  another  thing  to  keep  up  the  delusion,  in  the 
presence  of  this  brighter  and  more  critical  people,  and  before 
so  grave  and  reverend  a  dignitary  as  the  great  Pokee.  The 
more  this  subject  was  weighed  in  his  mind,  the  more  oppres 
sive  it  grew.  He  even  thought,  at  times,  his  freedom  had 
been  purchased  at  too  high  a  price,  when  paid  for  in  the 
deubtful  barter  of  falsehood  and  deceit.  To  be  plain,  it  was 
not  his  conscience  that  troubled  him  so  much  as  the  dilemma 
of  being  compelled  to  keep  alive  indefinitely  a  delusion,  or 
suffer  ignominious  exposure,  and  much  worse  it  might  be  at 
the  hands  of  an  indignant  people,  some  of  whom,  for  aught 
he  knew,  might  be  acquainted  with  the  use  of  fire-arms.  These 
considerations  determined  his  mind  to  seek  a  postponement 
of  the  further  exercise  of  his  priestly  functions  as  long  as 
possible,  in  the  hope  that  some  lucky  turn  in  his  fortune 
might  relieve  him  altogether  from  embarrassment,  or,  at  all  events, 
until  he  could  ascertain  whether  or  not,  in  repeating  his  trick, 
he  would  be  treading  on  solid  ground.  To  his  relief  at  this 
time,  happily,  came  the  remembrance  of  a  Spanish  proverb 
learned  in  his  childhood,  which  says,  "  When  you  are  in  doubt 
do  it  not,"  and  his  purpose  was  strengthened. 

But  the  advent  of  Manuelo  having  been  heralded  by  his  re 
nown  as  a  conjurer,  and  all  the  people  believing  in  the  power 


350  YEARS  AGO.  47 

of  the  priesthood  to  call  up  the  shades  of  the  dead  on  proper 
occasions,  he  was. confidently  expected,  and  particularly  by  the 
old  chief,  to  give  some  demonstration  of  his  powers.  In  this, 
as  in  other  countries,  the  wish  of  the  sovereign  being  equivalent 
to  a  command,  the  heaviest  draft  ever  made  upon  Manuelo's 
artfulness  was  to  avoid  being  compelled  to  put  his  powers  into 
practice  before  he  was  ready.  But,  as  ever  before,  so  in  this 
emergency  his  genius  forsook  him  not.  He  was  the  guest  of 
the  king,  and  his  safety  depended  upon  his  obtaining  such 
influence  at  court  as  would  enable  him  to  control,  instead  of 
being  controlled  by,  his  majesty;  and  this  is  not  the  first  in 
stance  recorded  in  which  a  courtier  has  realized  that  necessity. 
While  Manuelo  had  come  to  this  place  in  the  guise  of  a 
prophet,  he  had  likewise  assumed  the  airs  of  a  prince,  and  the 
better  to  carry  out  his  purpose,  he  now  pretended  to  belong 
to  a  powerful  empire  far "  to  the  southward,  which  was  true 
enough;  but  it  was  not  true,  as  he  further  stated,  that  his  father 
was  king  of  that  country,  and  that  himself  was  heir  to  the 
throne.  Knowing  full  well,  however,  there  was  no  one  to  contra* 
diet  his  assertions,  he  took  on  his  new  character  with  the  greatest 
confidence  and  maintained.it  with  far  better  success  than  could 
have  been  expected  of  one  who  had  never  before  seen  king, 
nor  court,  nor  courtier  been. 

XX. 

PRETENSIONS. 

THOUGH  as  friendly  to  Manuelo  as  anyone  else,  the 
translator  is  not  so  blinded  by  partiality  as  to  claim  lor  him 
more  than  is  justly  due.  Unquestionably,  Manuelo  was  dis 
tinguished  for  the  originality  of  his  resources,  while  in  other 
respects  he  may  have  been  in  no  manner  superior  to  many 

NOTE. — To  avoid  a  waste  of  time  (unless,  indeed,  the  indulgent  reader 
should  be  a  person  of  leisure),  it  might  be  as  well  toskip  over  the  next 
chapter,  it  being  the  one  of  no  particular  interest. 


48  CALIFORNIA 

another  Spaniard  of  that  generation.  But  no  one  is  great  in 
all  things,  nor  even  in  many,  and  it  is  most  difficult,  sometimes, 
to  tell  who  of  a  number  is  superior.  It  might  be  possible  to 
distinguish  the  grandest  tree  if  the  forest  were  all  of  pines, 
but  it  is  made  up  of  many  species.  The  largest  oak  may  be 
overtopped  by  the  slender  fir,  while  in  strength  the  oak  may 
far  excel.  The  oak  and  the  pine  may  both  be  inferior  in  fiber 
to  the  maple,  and  all  again  be  eclipsed  in  usefulness  by  some 
other  species.  As  the  trees  of  the  forest  are  valued  according 
to  their  several  qualities,  so  with  men;  some  excel  in  one,  and 
some  in  another  direction,  but  none  in  all.  Qualities  are 
measured,  and  weighed,  and  gauged,  and  the  standard  of  one 
may  be  wholly  inapplicable  to  another.  Cloth  is  not  measured 
by  the  gallon,  nor  wine  by  the  yard,  nor  is  superiority  deter 
mined  by  any  particular  criterion. 

Our  new-fledged  prince,  for  prince  Manuelo  must  now  be 
considered,  found  little  difficulty  in  retaining  his  arms,  a  thing 
he  greatly  desired.  They  were,  for  greater  security  of  posses 
sion,  always  borne  upon  his  person  when  awake,  and  kept  by 
his  side  when  sleeping.  His  cutlas,  which  was  most  prized,  as 
of  more  lasting  utility  than  the  pistol^,  attracted  but  little  atten 
tion  from  the  natives  for  the  reason  that  they  were  wholly  unac 
quainted  with  the  uses  of  metals,  with  the  single  exception  of 
gold,  which  was  valued  for  ornament  only.  He  was  at  some 
pains  to  keep  his  keen  blade  concealed  in  its  scabbard  to 
avoid  their  prying  curiosity,  and  perhaps  also  to  escape  an 
occasion  for  proving  the  real  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended. 
As  to  his  pistols,  they  were  looked  upon  by  the  natives  as 
curious  ornaments,  and  were  worn  in  a  manner  best  calculated 
to  sustain  that  delusion.  The  difference,  in  reality,  between 
what  is  for  actual  use,  and  what  for  mere  show,  even  in  the 
most  enlightened  of  countries,  is  not  so  marked  as  to  render 
absurd  this  notion  of  these  barbarians. 

NOTE. — There    is   evidently   something   lacking   in    this   chapter,    but 


350  YEARS  AGO.  49 

XXI. 

NATIVE  WEAPONS. 

OF  the  various  arms  of  these  Indians  it  is  difficult  to  say 
which  was  most  needful.  Their  javelins  were  pointed  with  bone 
and  were  handled  with  skill,  and  often  with  fatal  effect.  A 
small  spear,  like  a  dart,  was  thrown  with  a  sling  attached  to 
the  end  of  a  stick,  and  revolved  in  its  course.  This  instrument 
was  sent  with  remarkable  precision,  and  was  useful  in  war,  but 
chiefly  in  hunting.  Every  man  in  the  tribe  and  every  lad  of 
sufficient  age  was  armed  with  one  or  the  other  of  these  missiles; 
but  the  javelin  was  more  commonly  the  arm  of  the  adult. 
Bows  and  arrows  were  likewise  in  general  use  among  them,  the 
latter  always  tipped  with  flint,  or  obsidian,  and  as  sharp  as  a 
knife. 

The  expertness  of  certain  artificers  in  working  out  these 
arrow-heads  was  the  more  astonishing  since  it  was  all  done  by 
hand,  and  with  remarkable  facility.  A  skillful  artisan  could 
easily  turn  off  half  a  score  in  a  day,  perfect  in  shape  and  ready 
for  use.  Of  the  same  materials,  and  in  a  similar  way,  their 
knives  were  produced,  almost  equal  in  keenness  to  knives  of 
steel,  and  hardly  less  useful  for  the  cutting  of  skins,  and  food. 
Their  hatchets  of  stone  were  likewise  quite  sharp.  Set  in 
handles  of  wood,  these  were  formidable  weapons,  both  in  war 
and  in  the  chase,  as  Manuelo  could  testify  from  his  own  per 
sonal  experience.  Like  the  javelin  and  arrow  they  were  capable 
of  being  thrown  a  great  distance,  and  with  an  accuracy  of  aim 
never  equaled  by  Europeans  unless,  perchance,  in  the  most 
ancient  and  barbarous  times-  This  last  remark  is  an  interpo 
lation  by  the  translator,  for  neither  Manuelo  would  believe, 
nor  Justino  admit,  that  the  people  of  Europe,  much  less  the 

whether    to   charge   the    omission    to   Manuelo,    or  Justino,   or   to    the 
priests  at  Evora,  the  translator  is  in  doubt.     The  character  of  the  subject 

discussed,  however,  points  suspicion  strongly  towards  the  priests. 
4 


'50  CALIFORNIA  « 

good  people  of  Portugal,  had  ever  been  other  than  most 
enlightened  Christians.  It  is  undeniable,  nevertheless,  that 
in  the  far-distant  past,  and  before  histories  were  thought 
of,  every  part  of  the  world,  in  its  time,  was  in  a  savage 
condition;  for  have  we  not  found,  even  in  Spain,  implements 
of  stone  similar  in  construction  to  those  here  described  by 
Father  Justino? 

XXII. 

THE    KINGDOM. 

THE  country  occupied  by  this  considerable  nation,  who,  by 
the  way,  called  themselves  the  Santos,  had  no  definite  and 
fixed  boundary,  except  so  far  as  formed  by  the  ocean  on  the 
one  side,  but  it  included,  altogether,  a  large  number  of  villages 
scattered  throughout  many  valleys.  It  comprehended  a  wide 
range  of  territory,  but  how  wide  Manuelo's  conception  is  at 
fault,  or  else  Justino  has  unwittingly  failed  to  transmit  the  facts 
to  us.  All  the  people,  however,  who  acknowledged  the  suprem 
acy  of  Bear-Slayer  were,  figuratively  speaking,  under  the 
same  flag.  They  possessed  no  banner,  in  fact,  but  their 
national  emblem,  which  served  the  same  purpose,  was  a  white 
bird's  wing  which  every  warrior  was  accustomed  to  wear  as  a 
part  of  his  head-gear. 

The  name  by  which  these  people  were  known,  when  ren 
dered  in  Spanish  and  then  again  in  English,  was  "  The  Pines." 
Whether  this  appellation  was  assumed  by  them  because  of  their 
resemblance  in  numbers  to  the  pines  of  the  forest,  or  whether 
because  they  were  tall  and  strong  like  the  pine,  is  not  kncrwn, 
for  the  manuscript  is  silent  upon  this  point.  But  as  it  is  a  sub 
ject  of  speculation,  we  may  repeat  the  suggestion  that  their 
extreme  fondness  for  the  nut  of  the  pine  may  have  had  some 
thing  to  do  in  conferring  upon  them  this  peculiar  cognomen. 

A  marked  feature  of  the  country  as  then  described  was  its 
well-rounded  mountains  and  smooth  sloping  hills,  covered  with 


350  YEARS  AGO.  51 

timber  of  every  sort.  Another  characteristic,  hardly  less  con 
spicuous,  to  which  attention  was  especially  called,  was  its  many 
beautiful  valleys  all  studded  with  evergreen  trees,  and  coated, 
perennially,  with  a  carpet  of  grass,  interspersed  in  the  spring 
time  with  bright-colored  and  sweet-smelling  flowers.  Bar 
ring  from  his  description  most  of  the  trees,  which,  however, 
may  have  become  exterminated  in  these  three  hundred  and 
odd  years  by  forest  fires,  and  we  have  in  Manuelo's  account  a 
picture  which  will  be  recognized  as  nearly  correct,  even  at  the 
present  day. 

Another  circumstance  mentioned  by  him,  and  one  which 
must  go  far  toward  identifying  that  part  of  California  as  the 
scene  of  his  trials  and  triumphs,  was  its  liability  to  earthquakes. 
These,  he  informs  us,  occurred  almost  every  year  of  his  stay  in 
that  country,  and  as  often  caused  great  trepidation  among  the 
women  and  children.  One  shock  in  particular  he  mentions, 
because  more  severe  than  the  rest,  drove  the  waters  of  the  Bay 
quite  into  the  town,  but  did  no  further  damage  than  causing 
great  fright  to  the  people,  and  washing  away  all  the  boats  that 
lay  moored  on  the  beach,  many  of  which,  however,  were  after 
wards  recovered.  This  earthquake  was  followed  closely  by  a 
dense  cloud  of  smoke,  which  enveloped  the  land,  but  whence 
it  proceeded,  or  how  it  was  produced,  no  one  at  the  time  could 
tell.  As  soon  as  a  moment  was  allowed  for  reflection,  after  the 
shock,  the  sacred  groves  were  sought  by  the  populace,  and  from 
there  the  loudest  incantations  were  sent  up  by  the  priests,  the 
result  of  which  was  a  quiet  earth  once  more,  and  in  due  time 
a  clear  sky,  greatly  to  the  gratification  of  the  people,  who  were 
by  no  means  slow  in  manifesting  their  appreciation  of  this  most 
opportune  service  of  the  prophets. 


52  CALIFORNIA 

XXIII. 
THE    CAPITAL. 

IF  Manuelo  was  not  mistaken,  which  does  not  seem  likely, 
the  chief  settlement  of  the  Santos  was  located  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Bay  from  where  the  great  commercial  city  of  San 
Francisco  was  afterwards  built,  but  just  at  what  point  is  not 
known,  nor  can  that  now  be  of  much  consequence,  since  the 
ruins  of  the  same,  after  this  long  lapse  of  time,  have  in  all 
probability  become  totally  obliterated.  If  known  to  have  been 
where  the  considerable  city  of  Oakland  now  stands,  it  would 
not  add  much  to  the  interest,  since  the  name  of  the  first  city 
is  now  entirely  lost,  and  any  account  of  it  would  apply  as  well 
to  one  locality  as  to  another.  What's  in  a  name  ?  has  often 
been  asked.  The  reply  is,  that  whatever  is  famous  in  the 
world's  history  is  exclusively  so  from  the  preservation  of  names. 
Had  the  name  of  Alexander  the  Great  been  suppressed,  all  his 
mighty  achievements,  if  known  at  all,  would  have  inured  as 
much  to  the  glory  of  any  one  of  his  million  men  as  to  him 
self. 

Without  doubt,  in  the  long  series  of  ages  unrepresented  by 
written  history,  hundreds,  and  perhaps  thousands,  of  heroes 
have  existed,  no  less  famous  in  their  day  and  generation  than 
Alexander,  or  Caesar,  but  whose  ashes  now  repose  in  unknown 
sepulchers.  The  importance  of  perpetuating  a  name,  whether 
for  good  or  evil,  cannot  be  better  shown  than  by  the  mention 
of  Bucephalus,  most  famous  of  horses,  whose  glory,  like  that 
of  his  proud  master,  has  been,  most  fortunately  for  him,  trans 
mitted  to  us. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  one  deemed  worthy  of  mention 
by  Justino,  that  this  horse  and  his  rider  are  the  only  two 
prominent  characters,  in  all  that  vast  multitude,  whose  history 
is  preserved  to  this  day. 

But  the  reflection  arises,  unbidden,  that  had  the  name  of  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  58 

Santos  capital  been  rescued  from  oblivion  by  Manuelo,  even 
that  might  not  have  aided  in  fixing  its  locality. 

Babylon,  the  most  magnificent  of  cities,  was  located  some 
where  on  the  River  Euphrates;  but  beyond  that  its  site  is  un 
known.  And  so  of  the  city  of  the  Santos;  we  only  know  that  it 
was  on  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  If  Babylon  possesses  an 
advantage  over  this,  it  is  only  in  name;  for,  thanks  to  the  good 
Justino,  a  description  of  the  one  is  as  well  preserved  as  of  the 
other.  The  city  of  the  Assyrians,  it  is  known,  v,-as  rectangular 
in  construction,  and  occupied  both  sides  of  the  river,  while  the 
city  of  the  Santos  was  circular  in  form,  and  was  on  but  one  side 
of  the  Bay. 

In  the  center  of  the  latter  city,  as  we  have  already  seen,  were 
situated  the  dwellings  of  the  king  and  of  the  principal  prophet- 
Surrounding  these,  and  at  regular  intervals,  in  numerous  rows, 
were  the  tenements  of  the  people.  In  rows  did  we  say?  and 
that  was  correct,  for  the  city  was  built  from  the  interior  out 
wards,  and  the  last  of  the  rows  was  never  completed.  In  the 
first  of  the  circles,  near  the  center,  dwelt  the  priests,  and  the 
seers,  and  the  principal  men  of  the  nation.  Each  one  of  the 
lodges  in  the  outer  circles  was  a  family  dwelling,  and  these 
were  numbered  by  hundreds  and  thousands.  Their  houses, 
not  large,  were  ingeniously  constructed  of  wood,  and  of  wattle, 
and  reeds,  and  were  plastered  within  and  without.  While  not 
remarkably  imposing,  they  were  well  calculated  to  afford  protec 
tion  against  the  winds  and  rains,  and  the  heat  of  the  summer 
sun.  Their  carpets  were  matting,  and  their  beds  of  the  same 
material,  spread  upon  dried  grass.  Their  household  utensils 
were  such  as  have  been  described  as  in  use  by  the  Yonos,  to 
which,  perhaps,  may  be  added  knives  of  flint  and  needles  of 
bone. 

Their  dwellings  were  always  kept  clean,  and  in  person  they 
were  seldom  untidy.  Their  clothing,  of  which  they  had  but  a 
limited  supply,  was  made  of  the  skins  of  wild  beasts.  The  elk 


54  CALIFORNIA 

alone  of  all  animals  was  domesticated,  and  elk  in  large  herds 
were  maintained  in  the  neighboring  valleys.  Occasionally  these 
were  used  as  beasts  of  burden,  to  bring  home  booty  and  game; 
and,  presumably  for  this  reason,  their  flesh  was  seldom  eaten 
by  the  natives.  The  horns  of  this  animal,  though  abundant, 
were  highly  prized.  They  were  used  for  the  making  of  spear 
heads  and  fish-hooks,  and  for  other  like  purposes.  The  flesh 
of  the  deer  was  the  principal  meat  of  the  people,  and  was  pre 
pared  for  use  by  drying  in  the  sun.  A  goodly  supply  was  always 
on  hand  in  every  household. 

But  of  all  the  fourfooted  animals  found  in  this  country,  the 
hare  was  the  most  abundant,  and  perhaps  the  most  useful.  In 
parts  of  the  land  these  nimble  little  creatures  literally  swarmed, 
and  their  skins  were  in  constant  demand  for  the  making  of 
garments.  Owing  to  this  fact,  due  care  was  observed  in  keep 
ing  good  their  supply.  Being  protected  from  wanton  destruc 
tion,  they  were  killed  only  as  their  skins  or  their  flesh  might 
be  needed.  The  same  regard,  and  for  a  similar  reason,  was 
paid  to  the  antelope,  the  pelts  of  which  were  even  more  highly 
prized.  It  may  be  said  of  these  wise  Santos  that  they  were 
never  improvident  or  wasteful  of  whatever  was  useful  for  cloth 
ing  or  food;  and  in  this  it  will  be  admitted  they  exhibited  a 
higher  degree  of  civilization  than  is  enjoyed  by  many  of  the 
most  enlightened  Christian  nations. 

NOTE. — The  following  extract  from  the  Solano  Republican  of  very  re 
cent  date  is  so  strikingly  confirmatory  of  our  history  that  we  cannot  forbear 
to  make  a  note  of  it: — 

"The  primeval  Caucasian  commenced  his  existence  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  may  not  a  beneficent  Deity  have  placed  the  primeval  inhab 
itant  of  California  in  an  Eden  no  less  suited  to  his  happiness  and  the  sup 
plying  of  his  physical  wants?  The  wide-branched  oaks  showered  down 
their  annual  fruitage  of  life-giving  acorns  to  feed  the  dusky  matron  and 
the  tired  huntsman  and  warrior,  as  the  manna  fell  upon  the  Israelites  in 
the  wilderness.  The  wild  grassjss  growing  in  grandeur  upon  the  silvery 
plains  bowed  over  in  thrifty  bearing  of  nutritious  seeds.  The  rippling 


350  YEARS  AGO.  55 

XXIV. 

THEIR    OCCUPATIONS. 

BY  observing  these  just  relations  towards  the  brute  creation, 
it  was  noticed  that  a  sort  of  harmony  sprung  up  between  the 
natives  and  the  animal  kingdom,  at  least  so  far  as  the  inoffen 
sive  portion  of  it  was  concerned;  but  towards  those  more  fero 
cious  beasts  of  the  mountain,  as  the  bear,  the  lion,  and  the 
wolf,  an  unrelenting  warfare  was  waged.  Even  the  birds  of  the 
air  seemed  to  look  upon  these  rude  masters  of  the  soil  as  their 
friends.  Quail,  grouse,  and  other  birds  of  that  species  fre 
quented  the  hills  in  vast  numbers,  and  water-fowl  of  every  de 
scription,  from  swan  to  swift-winged  widgeon,  swarmed  on  the 
lakes,  rivers,  and  bays,  apparently  unmolested  by  man.  Never 
frightened  by  the  report  of  fire-arms,  these  birds  were  likewise 
half  tame.  In  taking  so  many  of  them  as  were  needed  for 
food  and  for  feathers,  the  people  proceeded  with  such  quiet 
and  skill  as  to  create  but  little  alarm,  Whatever  the  fact  may 
be,  Manuelo  asserted  it  as  his  firm  belief  that  many  of  the 
water-fowl  looked  upon  the  noble  Santos  as  their  natural  pro 
tectors  against  the  fox  and  the  cunning  coyote.  Large  num 
bers  of  these  ravenous  creatures  were  destroyed  by  the  natives, 
and  greatly  to  the  relief  of  the  feathered  tribes;  but  the  object 
of  their  destruction  was  to  obtain  their  pelts,  rather  than  the 
protection  of  the  birds,  and  so  it  happens,  remarked  Justino, 
that  man  often  receives  credit  for  his  actions  regardless  of  his 
motives.  The  beaver,  the  otter,  and  other  amphibious  creat 
ures,  were  sought  for  their  furs,  which  were  worn  by  the  princi- 

streams  were  filled  to  overflowing  with  toothsome  trout,  and  the  elk,  the 
deer,  the  antelope,  and  the  hare  fell  at  the  demand  of  the  swift- flying  arrow, 
and  as  the  winter  rains  came  on,  so  came  the  heavens  aglow  with  myriad 
numbers  of  wild  fowl  from  the-far  distant  North  to  supply  their  portion  to 
the  aboriginal  necessities.  It  was  an  Indian's  paradise  in  the  long,  long 
ago." 


56  CALIFORNIA 

pal  chiefs  and  prophets.  In  the  taking  of  fish,  considering 
their  appliances,  the  Santos,  both  male  and  female,  displayed 
unexampled  skill,  and  fish  constituted  largely  their  diet,  being 
freely  indulged  in  every  day  of  the  week,  and  not  on  Fridays 
alone.  All  kinds  of  fish  were  captured  by  them,  except  the 
great  whale,  which  sometimes  came  rolling  and  tumbling  into 
the  Bay,  but  was  never  disturbed  by  the  natives,  being  always 
regarded  with  feelings  of  awe. 

Though  fishing  and  hunting  supplied  their  principal  wants, 
they  were  not  without  berries,  wild  fruits,  and  nuts,  in  consid 
erable  variety.  These  were  gathered  in  their  season  and  when 
dried  were  stored  for  future  use. 

As  wise  and  as  happy  as  these  people  were,  they  knew 
nothing  whatever  about  the  cultivation  of  the  ground.  This 
will  excite  less  wonder  when  it  is  reflected  that  all  their  wants 
were  satisfied  without  a  resort  to  any  of  the  more  slavish 
methods  t>f  obtaining  a  living.  Their  means  of  subsistence 
were  ample  in  the  lines  marked  out  for  themselves,  and  it  may 
well  be  doubted  if  their  enjoyment  would  have  been  augmented 
by  adding  any  other.  Bread  they  had  not;  bread  they  knew 
not ;  bread  they  wanted  not.  The  curse  pronounced  against 
Adam  and  his  descendants,  "  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt 
thou  eat  bread,"  had  no  application  whatever  to  them,  and 
Father  Justino  was  confronted  with  the  apparent  exemption  of 
a  whole  people  from  a  malediction  which  he  had  been  taught 
to  believe  was  universal  in  its  application.  The  anxiety  of  the 
friar  to  find  an  explanation  for  this  remarkable  fact  led  to  a 
diligent  searching  of  the  Scriptures,  and  there  he  discovered, 
to  his  great  joy,  that  the  occupation  of  Abel  had  been  the 
keeping  of  flocks  and  herds,  the  same  exactly  as  these  people; 
and  the  good  friar  reached  the  conclusion  that  this  son  of 
Adam  might  have  left  progeny  of  his  own,  the  descendants  of 
whom  these  people  may  have  been.  This  opinion  was 
strengthened  by  the  further  observation,  likewise  recorded  in 


350  YEARS  AGO.  57 

sacred  history,  that  "  unto  Adam  also  and  his  wife  did  the 
Lord  God  make  coats  of  skins  and  clothed  them,"  a  custom 
faithfully  followed  by  these,  their  supposed  descendants.  As 
with  our  first  parents,  so  here  also  the  garments  in  use  were 
better  calculated  to  hide  their  nakedness  than  to  protect  their 
persons  from  the  cold  and  heat  of  the  seasons.  Coats,  indeed, 
like  Adam  and  his  wife,  the  Santos  possessed,  made  of  skins 
like  theirs,  and  long,  but  other  garments  had  they  none.  This 
robe-like  vestment  constituted  the  dress  of  the  men,  women, 
and  children,  indiscriminately,  and  none  were  provided  with 
better,  not  even  the  king. 

XXV. 

SETTING  THE  FASHIONS. 

MANUELO  soon  discovered  the  great  necessity  that  ex 
isted  for  a  change  in  the  form  of  clothing  of  this  people, 
and  he  wisely  concluded  it  would  detract  nothing  from  his 
dignity  as  prince  or  prophet  to  suggest  some  improvement  in 
the  same.  To  this  conclusion  he  was  partially  driven  by  his 
own  necessities.  The  scanty  supply  worn  by  himself  ashore 
from  the  ship,  had  already  become  the  worse  for  usage,  and  he 
was  constrained  to  replace  it  with  new.  The  only  materials 
for  his  purpose  at  hand  were  the  skins  of  beasts,  and  with 
these  he  must  needs  fashion  his  garments.  His  experience  on 
shipboard,  and  ample  enough  it  had  been,  in  patching  and 
mending  his  clothes,  now  stood  him  in  excellent  part.  His 
first  great  need  was  new  pants,  to  replace  the  old  ones,  now 
fairly  reduced  to  tatters.  The  pelts  of  the  deer  and  the  wolf 
were  in  plenty,  and  of  fur-bearing  animals  not  a  few.  There 
was  barely  enough  of  his  old  garment  left  to  serve  him  the 
turn  of  a  pattern,  and  he  selected  the  soft  yellow  skin  of  the 
deer  as  the  best  with  which  to  replace  them.  It  need  not  be 
stated  that  while  he  was  thus  engaged  in  playing  the  part  of  a 
tailor,  he  was  constrained  to  adopt  the  scanty  costume  of  the 


58  CALIFORNIA 

natives.  His  trusty  saber  served  the  purpose  of  tailor's  shears, 
and  for  a  needle  he  ground  in  the  form  of  an  awl,  a  bolt  from 
one  of  his  pistols.  Leathern  thongs  were  used  in  the  place  of 
thread,  and  so  all  his  wants  were  supplied.  The  finished  gar 
ment  was  tasty  enough  for  the  time  and  the  place,  and 
Manuelo  was  proud  of  his  achievement.  Every  step  in  the 
work,  as  he  wished  it  might  be,  was  closely  observed  by  the 
women,  a  goodly  number  of  whom  were  all  the  while  present, 

With  a  fair  stock  of  patience,  and  encouraged  by  his  former 
success,  he  presently  fashioned  also  an  excellent  waistcoat  out 
of  the  skins  of  the  fox ;  and  he  then  made  a  coat  in  the 
form  of  a  blouse,  with  sleeves  of  full  length,  from  the 
pelts  of  black  bears,  the  hair  being  left  on  the  'outside.  His 
head-dress  was  wrought  from  the  skin  of  the  beaver,  but  not  after 
the  modern  style  of  hat  from  that  same  fur,  and  a  good  cover 
ing  for  his  feet  he  was  able  to  make  from  the  thick,  tough  hide 
of  the  grizzly  bear.  Fully  arrayed  in  these  garments,  Manuelo 
was  more  than  ever  the  admiration  of  the  people,  and  certain 
it  is  he  had  good  right  to  exult,  for  the  triumph  of  his  genius 
was  never  before  so  complete.  His  fame  on  account  of  these 
successes  soon  spread  throughout  the  city,  and  there  was  no 
longer  any  limit  to  his  influence.  It  was  readily  seen  by  all 
that  the  style  of  his  new  habiliments  was  better  calculated  to 
impart  comfort  than  the  old,  and  he  found  less  difficulty  in 
setting  the  fashions  than  he  had  anticipated. 

In  imitation  of  his  example,  the  whole  population,  so  to 
speak,  set  themselves  about  the  business  of  making  pantaloons, 
vests,  coats,  caps,  and  shoes,  and  before  many  weeks  had 
elapsed,  almost  every  man,  woman,  youth,  maiden,  and  child  in 
the  city  was  attired  in  one  or  another  of  these  useful  articles. 
Seldom,  if  ever,  had  fashion  spread  more  rapidly,  even  in  the 
most  enlightened  country.  But  a  complete  dress  was  rarely 
indulged  in  by  any  one  person,  unless  we  except  the  king  and 
his  courtiers,  including  Manuelo,  of  course.  As  a  rule,  only 


350  YEARS  AGO.  59 

one  or  two  articles  of  apparel  were  worn  by  the  same  individ 
ual,  and  on  public  occasions,  it  is  related,  the  assemblages 
presented  a  highly  picturesque,  if  not  a  comical,  appearance. 
The  pantaloons  and  the  blouse  became  the  favorite  garments 
of  both  sexes,  and  the  wearing  of  neither  by  either  sex  created 
no  disturbance  in  that  country. 

Manuelo  was  wont  to  say  that  next  to  his  achievement  as  a 
priest  and  a  conjurer  among  the  Yonos,  his  success  in  establish 
ing  new  styles  at  the  capital  was  the  grandest  triumph  of  his 
life,  and  he  congratulated  himself  most  of  all  that  in  this 
latter  case  he  had  contributed  very  largely  to  the  happiness  of 
a  whole  class  of  his  fellow-beings.  In  this,  again,  is  displayed 
his  never-failing  goodness  of  heart,  for  though  afterwards  he 
acquired  distinction  as  a  warrior,  he  counted  not  his  successes 
in  that  direction  as  superior  to  his  attainments  in  a  peaceful 
way ;  and  so  it  should  be,  thought  Justino,  the  man  that  pro 
motes  the  welfare  and  adds  to  the  happiness  of  his  race,  is 
really  entitled  to  more  consideration  than  the  one  who,  for  his 
own  glory,  annoys  and  destroys  mankind.  True  civilization  is 
indicated  by  the  prevalence  of  the  former  sentiment,  and  bar 
barity  by  the  latter.  It  was  wondered  by  the  priest  if  the 
world  would  'ever  arise  to  an  appreciation  of  its  civic  heroes, 
such  as  Manuelo  surely  was. 

XXVI. 

THEIR  SUNDAYS. 

BECAUSE  the  Santos  were  ignorant  of  the  laws  of  Moses, 
they  paid  little  respect  to  the  Sabbath  day.  Even  in  times  of 
peace,  and  notwithstanding  the  pious  instructions  of  Manuelo, 
they  could  never  be  brought  to  a  comprehension  of  the  dis 
tinction  between  Sunday  and  another  day  of  the  week.  They 
were  less  to  be  condemned  on  this  account,  however,  from  the 
fact  that  Manuelo  himself,  by  reason  of  wounds,  or  for  some 


60  CALIFORNIA 

other  cause,  lost  his  reckoning,  and  was  uncertain  during  all  of 
his  stay  among  them  whether  Sunday  was  Saturday,  or  Mon 
day,  Sunday.  But  this  was  not  a  matter  of  so  much  impor 
tance  at  the  time,  since  there  was  no  place  of  worship  in  that 
country  for  him  to  attend',  and  no  Christian  priest  to  whom  to 
confess  his  sin  of  forgetful  ness.  But  he  made  the  best  reckon 
ing  he  was  able  to  under  the  circumstances,  and  always  observed 
one  day  out  of  the  seven  for  pious  meditations,  except  in 
deed  when  abroad  on  some  warlike  expedition,  or  other  impor 
tant  business,  exceptions  recognized  as  proper  by  all  Christian 
nations. 

But  the  Santos  were  not  without  their  own  Sundays,  if  such 
they  might  be  called,  which  occurred  twice  a  month,  or  just  at 
the  full  and  again  at  the  new  of  the  moon.  These  were  days 
of  rest  from  secular  pursuits,  unless  it  might  be  the  pursuit  of 
a  bear  or  the  like,  and  were  observed  with  almost  as  much 
show  of  piety  as  characterizes  the  Sabbath  day  in  gospel  lands. 
These  were  called  the  Prophets'  days  and  were  devoted  to 
religious  observances. 

The  places  of  worship  recognized  by  this  people,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Yonos,  were  in  the  open  air  and  under  the  spread 
ing  branches  of  trees.  The  pulpit  or  rostrum  was  a  mound 
overgrown  with  grass,  and  surmounted  by  an  altar  of  stones, 
upon  which  a  fire  was  kept  burning  during  the  whole  of  the 
Sabbath  day.  Their  hours  of  meeting  were  at  the  rising  and 
setting  of  the  sun,  and  their  ceremonies  consisted  of  chanting 
and  the  invocation  of  spirits.  The  priests,  as  Manue.lo  would 
have  it,  pretended  to  be  on  familiar  terms  with  the  souls 
of  the  dead,  and  at  certain  times  would  appear  to  converse  as 
freely  with  them  as  with  their  own  flesh  and  blood.  Their 
gravity  of  manner  and  apparent  sincerity  were  no  less  than 
that  of  the  Dominicans  themselves,  and  Manuelo  was  so  im 
pressed  thereby  that  he  might  have  accepted  their  creed  as  his 
own  but  for  his  success  in  the  same  direction,  which  he  knew 


350  YEARS  AGO.  61 

but  too  well  was  attributable  to  his  pistols  alone.  By  this  fortu 
nate  circumstance  alone,  Justino  thought,  Manuelo's  conversion 
to  heathenism,  and  the  loss  of  his  soul,  were  prevented. 

Such  faith  had  these  heathen  in  their  own  particular  mode 
of  worship  that  no  expedition  was  undertaken  unless  by  direc 
tion  of  the  priests.  Their  esteem  for  their  friends  in  the  other 
world  was  unbounded,  and  the  good  friar  believed,  from  the 
account  that  was  given,  that  they  were  addicted  to  the  pagan 
practice  of  ancestral  worship,  and  his  pious  desire  to  be  the 
bearer  among  them  of  the  only  true  religion  was  depicted  on 
many  pages  of  the  voluminous  manuscript. 

In  the  main  the  Santos. were  a  peace-loving  people,  and 
strifes  were  uncommon  among  them;  but  if  war  was  proposed, 
the  oracles  were  consulted,  and  the  same  resort  was  had  in  the 
case  of  deposing  a  king.  From  this  it  will  be  observed  that  the 
priests  were  all  powerful,  and  that  the  king  himself  held  his 
place  subject  to  their  will.  But,  unlike  the  practice  in  other 
countries,  where  a  similar  rule  prevailed  at  the  time  of  that 
writing,  the  king  of  the  Santos  could  only  be  deposed  for  some 
moral,  intellectual,  or  physical  infirmity,  whereas  in  other  and 
more  enlightened  lands  the  reigning  prince  was  sometimes  set 
aside  by  the  pontiff  for  an  offense  against  the  church,  and 
without  a  formal  invocation  of  supernatural  aid. 

XXVII. 

SUN  WORSHIP. 

SITUATED,  as  these  people  ever  had  been,  beyond  the  reach 
of  interruption  from  the  outside  world,  they  enjoyed  that  inde 
pendence  in  social  life,  as  well  as  in  religious  belief,  which  immu 
nity  from  intrusion  would  naturally  confer.  There  was  no  ad 
versary  to  their  opinions,  and  no  enemy  to  their  institutions. 
They  were  alike  free  from  fear  and  free  .from  importunity. 
The  only  disturbers  of  their  peace  were  the  prowling  bear  and 


62  CALIFORNIA 

the  insidious  panther.  In  this  primitive  condition  they  might 
have  continued,  we  know  not  hew  long,  but  for  the  greed  of 
the  Spanish  race,  which  eventually  led  to  encroachments  upon 
them.  In  religion,  as  in  other  habits  of  life,  they  were  peculiar. 
From  some  unknown  incentive,  the  Santos  were  in  the  habit 
of  paying  reverence  to  the  sun,  which  we  are  informed  they  re 
garded  as  the  source  of  all  light  and  life.  In  pursuance  of  this 
unchristian  notion,  the  people  assembled  in  the  early  morning 
of  each  Prophets'  day,  in  their  places  of  worship,  and,  with  faces 
all  eastward  turned,  anxiously  awaited  the  coming  forth  of  that 
great  luminary.  On  his  first  appearance  over  the  distant  hills, 
the  sun  was  greeted  with  demonstrations  of  joy.  After  giving 
expression  to  their  feelings,  with  no  less  earnestness  than  if  his 
coming  had  been  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  they  bowed  down 
before  the  full-orbed  king  of  day,  and  covering  their  faces  with 
their  hands,  remained  in  silence  for  some  time.  In  the  evening, 
again  assembled  in  like  manner,  they  awaited  the  slow  sinking 
of  the  setting  sun  into  the  western  ocean,  when,  on  a  signal 
from  the  priest,  all  broke  forth  into  lamentations,  which,  con 
tinuing  until  the  curtain  of  night  shut  down  upon  the  scene, 
one  and  all  would  retire  to  their  homes  and  to  peaceful  slum 
bers. 

The  world  they  regarded  as  something  within,  and  not  upon 
which  they  dwelt;  in  this  belief  differing  not  from  the  erudite 
Urban  VIII.,  the  Atic  Bee,  so  called,  who  about  this  time  was 
inflicting  punishment  upon  the  heretical  Galileo  for  proclaim 
ing  a  different  theory.* 

*It  may  be  remembered  that  Galileo  lived  many  years  subsequent  to 
these  adventures  of  Manuelo,  and  it  is  impossible,  therefore,  that  Justino 
could  have  introduced  this  illustration  in  his  manuscript.  The  only  way  to 
account  for  its  appearance  is  to  suppose  that  it  may  have  been  injected 
into  the  narrative  by  some  one  of  the  meddlesome  priests  at  Evora,  an  ex 
planation  somewhat  fortified  by  the  fact  of  the  well-known  jealousy  existing 
between  the  Dominican  brotherhood  and  the  order  of  Jesuits.  The  perse- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  63 

But  with  infinitely  less  knowledge  of  heavenly  affairs  than 
was  possessed  by  that  learned  pope,  these  Indians  looked  upon, 
or  rather  up  to,  the  sky  above  them  as  to  the  dome  of  a  mighty 
tabernacle,  arching  over  their  inheritance,  which  was  regarded 
by  them  as  the  yery  center  of  creation.  The  stars  were  be 
lieved  to  be  within  the  dome,  and  set  like  gems  to  adorn  the 
ceiling  of  the  great  structure.  The  silent  moon  was  an  inter 
esting  object  to  them,  so  far  only  as  it  marked  the  recurrence 
of  their  sabbaths.  In  other  matters  of  astronomy  they  were 
uninformed,  but  the  phases  of  the  moon  seemed  to  be  under 
stood  by  them  perfectly,  it  being  the  duty  of  the  priests  to 
keep  these  things  in  mind,  and  errors  in  calculations  seldom  or 
never  occurred. 

XXVIII. 

FESTIVITIES. 

THE  regular  festivals  of  the  Santos  were  but  two  in  the 
year,  one  in  the  spring  and.  the  other  in  the  autumn ;  the 
one  in  the  season  of  blossoms  and  the  other  at  the  time  of 
ripe  fruits.  These  productions  of  nature  were  intended  to 
give  character  to  the  occasions,  and  were  the  distinguishing 
features  of  these  festivities,  the  one  being  called  the  Feast  of 
Flowers  and  the  other  of  Fruits 

These  gatherings  were  subject  to  the  call  of  the  high  priest 
and  were  held  with  great  regularity.  They  were  believed  to  be 
religious  assemblages,  as  well  as  occasions  for  all  manner  of 
games,  each  feast  lasting  three  days  and  no  longer.  Large  del 
egations  of  people  from  other  villages  and  tribes  poured  in 

cutions  of  Galileo  were  instigated  by  the  disciples  of  Loyola,  and  a  Domin 
ican  never  permitted  an  opportunity  to  slip  of  giving  his  rivals  a  rub. 
This  much  is  stated  in  order  to  vindicate  the  translator  from  the  possible 
charge  of  an  error  in  dates.  As  the  work  came  to  him  in  Portuguese,  so  he 
is  bound  torende-rit  in  English,  leaving  discrepancies  to  take  care  of  them 
selves. 


64  CALIFORNIA 

at  such  times,  coming  by  land  and  by  water,  each  delegation 
bringing  a  liberal  supply  of  food  to  contribute  to  the  general 
festivity.  In  reference  to  the  ages  of  the  persons  attending, 
there  was  this  wide  difference  between  the  two  feasts:  the  Feast 
of  Flowers  was  more  for  the  delectation  of  the  young ;  and 
the  Feast  of  Fruits  for  the  older  people  of  the  nation — so  that 
in  reality  it  may  be  said  there  was  only  one  feast  in  the  year 
for  the  same  individual. 

At  the  Feast  of  Flowers,  and  at  no  other  time  of  the  year, 
marriages  in  the  nation  were  celebrated.  On  these  happy  oc 
casions  all  the  young  men  and  maidens  appeared  in  their 
gaudiest  attire,  wearing  the  best  of  their  clothing  of  skins,  and 
each  embellished  with  a  profusion  of  the  gayest  ornaments, 
fashioned  of  feathers  and  flowers  and  stiells,  and  some  of  the 
finest  of  gold.'  As  in  other  lands,  more  favored  by  civilization, 
engagements  of  marriage  were  made  in  advance,  but  here, 
as  with  the  Yonos,  such  engagements  were  invariably  effected 
by  the  friends  of  the  parties,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of 
the  prophet  or  priest,  and  nothing  was  left  to  the  foolish 
caprice  of  mere  boys  and  girls.  Though  made  in  this  way, 
betrothals  were  kept  in  good  faith,  and  at  the  Festival  of 
Flowers  consummated  with  many  demonstrations  of  joy.  The 
wisdom  of  the  practice  was  fully  vindicated  by  the  happy  re 
sults  of  the  unions.  In  nothing  did  the  good  Santos  exhibit 
better  judgment  than  in  making  these  matches,  as  shown  in 
the  physical  perfection  of  their  offspring.  Of  sickly  and  de 
formed  there  were  none  among  them,  and  as  a  race  they  ex 
celled  in  vigor  of  body.  If  weakness  of  mind  there  was  any, 
or  lack  of  true  virtue  or  moral  integrity,  it  was  not  observed  by 
Manuelo,  and  certainly  never  reported  by  him.  Marriage, 
with  them,  was  never  solemnized  except  between  persons  of 
mature  age  and  perfect  development,  and  only  then  when 
the  parties  were  congenial  in  temper  and  harmonious  in 
purpose,  of  which  the  parents  and  priests  were  regarded  as  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  65 

best  judges.  But  notwithstanding  their  extreme  austerity  in 
some  respects,  the  Santos,  from  oldest  to  youngest,  were 
addicted  to  sport,  and  no  people  on  earth  were  more  merry 
than  they. 

At  the  Feast  of  Flowers  every  kind  of  amusement  that 
could  be  invented  was  indulged  in  by  both  sexes.  But  the 
principal  sports  of  the  youth  were  the  dance  and  the  chase, 
and  hiding  and  seeking,  and  surprises  of  various  kinds.  The 
young  and  vigorous  men  of  the  nation,  the  warriors  and  hunt 
ers,  including  some  priests  and  the  princes,  spent  much  of 
their  time  on  these  festive  days  in  leaping,  and  running  foot 
races,  in  shooting  the  arrow  and  dart,  and  in  throwing  the 
javelin  and  hatchet.  Shooting  birds  on  the  wing  with  the  ar 
row  was  a  favorite  sport,  and  in  this  alone  were  they  cruel,  un 
less  also  we  except  their  trials  of  strength  in  desperate  wrest 
ling  matches.  Stripped  quite  to  the  loins  for  these  exhibitions, 
most  violent  contests  ensued;  but  the  victor  and  vanquished 
were  both  crowned  alike,  and  never  the  former  alone.  The 
applause  of  the  crowd,  so  far  as  was  seen,  was  bestowed  xupon 
each.  To  do  all  one  could,  though  failure  ensued,  was  with 
them  a  virtue  as  great  as  success,  and  a  failure  from  whatever 
cause  was  ascribed  to  blind  chance  or  ill  luck,  so  the  van 
quished  was  never  disheartened.  In  throwing  the  hatchet 
and  javelin  they  were  hardly  less  certain  of  dropping  their 
game  than  had  it  been  done  with  the  rifle,  and  neither  in  war 
nor  in  hunting  would  they  seek  a  close  contest,  since,  from  a 
great  distance,  their  weapons  were  cast  with  deadly  precision. 
In  a  strife  with  the  grizzly  bear,  or  the  panther,  or  lion,  which 
they  never  entirely  declined,  they  thought  themselves  safest 
when  out  of  its  reach. 

In  a  race  at  the  time  of  their  feasts,  it  was  never  their  habit 
to  take  a  straight  course,  but  to  double  some  object  and  back ; 
and  racing  in  boats  as  well  as  on  foot  was  among  the  displays 
at  their  games. 


66  CALIFORNIA 

For  amusement,  the  women  and  girls  resorted  to  many  de 
vices,  both  pleasant  and  sportive,  but  never  immodest  or  rude.* 
From  the  advent  of  Manuelo  among  them,  a  leading  diversion 
became  the  making  of  garments  from  skins,  after  the  fashions 
already  described,  and  this  custom,  as  stated,  spread  rapidly 
throughout  the  whole  country.  The  expertness  of  the  women 
in  this,  if  the  story  is  worthy  of  credit,  was  hardly  inferior  to 
that  of  the  faithful  housewives  of  Castile.  But  something  in 
such  a  remark  must  be  set  down  to  the  bias  of  Manuelo,  who 
took  to  himself  all  the  credit  of  imparting  to  them  the  in 
structions  by  which  they  were  guided,  an  honor  to  which  he 
was  clearly  entitled,  but  whether  as  great  in  degree  as  was 
claimed,  is  a  point  upon  which  there  is  doubt. 

The  children  that  attended  the  feasts  engaged  in  all  manner 
of  games  such  as  children  are  wont  to  enjoy  when  aided  by 
elderly  women.  Less  absorbed  in  matters  of  fashion  than 
maidens  and  mothers,  the  grand  dames  of  the  tribe  de 
voted  themselves,  in  the  main,  to  the  care  and  amusement  of 
the  young. 

On  every  day  of  the  feast,  if  the  sky  was  not  overcast,  the 
sun,  in  the  morning,  at  rising,  was  greeted  with  long  and 
continued  acclaims,  in  which  all  the  people,  old  and  young? 
joined.  And  on  the  close  of  each  festive  occasion,  at  the  end 
of  the  third  and  last  day,  the  sun  was  dismissed  from  the 
heavens  with  a  song  so  wild  and  so  weird  that  once  heard  it 
was  never  forgotten. 

At  the  autumn  festival,  intended,  as  the  name  would  indi 
cate,  to  celebrate  the  ripening  of  fruits,  berries,  and  nuts,  the 

*Here,  again,  Manuelo's  recollection  is  at  fault.  He  was  asked  how 
the  native  mothers  exercised  restraint  over  their  daughters,  and  could  not 
answer  the  question.  He  was  sure,  however,  that  they  did  it  in  some 
way;  for  in  the  matter  of  dancing,  he  said  the  Indian  girls  were  exceed 
ingly  circumspect,  and  even  more  so  than  the  fine  young  ladies  of  old 
Spain. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  67 

usual  diversions  of  the  country  were  indulged  in  by  the  great 
body  of  the  people  assembled,  but  it  was  also  the  occasion  for 
serious  business  consultations  between  the  king  and  his  chiefs, 
priests,  seers,  and  prophets. 

At  these  times  matters  of  the  highest  importance  to  the 
whole  nation  were  passed  upon.  It  was  the  custom  then  to 
discuss  the  relations  of  the  Santos  to  neighboring  nations,  and 
to  determine  questions  of  peace  or  war;  but  war  was  never 
fully  and  finally  decided  upon  without  first  seeking  supernatural 
instructions;  a  practice  entirely  similar,  in  all  respects,  to  that 
of  the  ancient  Greeks,  who,  as  history  informs  us,  would  never 
commence  hostilities  without  first  consulting  the  Delphian 
oracles.  This  is  no  mean  proof  that  the  real  civilization  of 
the  one  people  was  equal  to  that  of  the  other;  though,  by  the 
common  consent  of  mankind,  that  of  the  Greeks  is  counted  of 
the  very  highest  order,  while  the  equally  unanimous  judgment 
of  inimical  nations  places  the  civilization  of  the  Indians  of 
the  New  World  much  lower  down  in  the  scale.  But  it  is 
probably  best  to  accept  Justine's  conclusion,  that  the  one  was 
advanced  in  one  direction,  and  the  other  in  another,  and  that 
the  Santo  was  as  much  enlightened  in  his  way  as  was  the 
Greek  in  his,  and  neither  too  much  so  since  both  were  alike 
miserable  pagans,  and  both  equally  outside  of  the  pale  of  the 
church. 

To  the  credit  of  the  fates  that  presided  over  California  three 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  it  ought  to  be  remarked  that  their 
decisions,  unlike  those  of  the  Delphian  oracles,  were  generally 
in  favor  of  peace,  and  not  in  the  direction  of  inciting  mortals 
to  the  wholesale  destruction  of  each  other. 

If  at  a  council  of  this  nation  the  question  was  raised  con 
cerning  the  king,  and  his  fitness  to  reign,  the  chief  priest  pre 
sided  and  ruled  upon  matters  with  fairness.  The  obligations 
of  the  sovereign  to  his  people  were  freely  discussed,  and  his 
duties  prescribed.  Aside  from  the  maintenance  of  a  fitting 


68  CALIFORNIA 

amount  of  dignity,  as  in  other  kingdoms,  the  reigning  prince 
of  the  Santos  was  required  to  act  the  part  of  an  arbiter  between 
disagreeing  subjects,  and  to  enforce  his  awards  in  all  cases. 

When,  the  oracles  being  adverse  to  peace,  war  unfortunately 
arose,  the  king  was  expected  to  assume  at  once  the  command 
of  his  forces;  not  to  direct,  from  some  safe  retreat,  his  military 
movements,  as  is  uniformly  the  custom  with  generals  in  other 
countries  and  in  these  later  times,  but  to  take  an  active  part 
and  lead  the  fight  in  person,  however  dangerous  or  distasteful 
it  might  be.  If  a  similar  rule  were  applied  to  all  kings,  fewer 
wars  would  occur  in  the  world.  Between  the  post  of  his 
majesty  and  the  post  of  danger  there  is  usually  a  very  wide 
distinction.  But  not  so  with  the  king  of  the  Santos;  if  there 
was  peril  in  war,  his  duty  was  there,  and  no  path  of  escape 
from  danger  was  open  to  him.  In  peace  alone  was  his  safety, 
and  peace  with  a  throne  was  better,  in  his  estimation,  than  war 
and  a  home  with  the  dead. 


XXIX. 

ABOUT  WAR 

WAR,  says  Justino,  though  always  destructive,  is  not  in 
every  instance  an  unmitigated  evil.  Although  to  be  avoided 
when  practicable,  it  is  not  always  to  be  declined.  The  rela 
tions  of  nations  to  each  other  are  such  that  a  passage  at  arms, 
now  and  then,  may  be  for  the  benefit  of  both  parties,  and  by 
no  means  prejudicial  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  Periodical  con 
flicts  among  the  elements  are  indispensable  to  the  purification 
of  the  atmosphere.  Storms,  however  severe,  result  in  replen 
ishing  the  earth.  Nature  is  full  of  contentions  at  times,  and 
her  forces  are  equalized  thereby.  Man  is  but  part  of  a  great 
system,  whose  diversified  ends  are  worked  out,  under  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Almighty,  in  many  mysterious  ways.  Even  the 
brute  creation  is  incited  by  love  and  hatred,  by  fear  and 


350  YEARS  AGO.  69 

jealousy,  to  mortal  combat.  Bickerings,  argued  the  good  friar, 
have  occurred  even  among  the  angels,  and  why  should  mortal 
man  hope  to  escape  them  ?  The  only  being  who  ever  taught 
absolute  peace  on  earth  was  the  divine  Master,  and  even  he, 
unmindful  for  the  moment  of  his  own  teachings,  overthrew, 
with  violence,  the  tables  of  the  money-changers,  driving  them 
forth  from  the  temple  with  scourges. 

On  looking  around,  Justino  could  see  that  even  the  gospel 
of  truth  had  been  propagated  by  wars,  and  those,  too,  of  the 
bloodiest  sort,  and  he  took  occasion  to  justify  all  that  had 
been  done  by  the  brave  Ferdinand,  referring,  doubtless,  to  the 
great  Hernando  Cortez,  in  whose  warlike  wake  the  church  had 
traveled  and  triumphed.  The  good  friar  knew  full  well  that 
by  war  Christianity  had  been  enabled  to  penetrate  the  benighted 
regions  of  Mexico,  and  by  that  means  alone  its  inhabitants  had 
been  brought  to  a  comprehension  of  the  only  true  religion. 
By  this  agency  immortal  souls  without  number  had  been 
snatched  like  so  many  brands  from  the  burning.  Without 
wars  they  must  have  perished  by  thousands,  yea,  millions; 
and  why  should  not  wars,  therefore,  he  exultingly  asked,  be 
sometimes  justified?  Continuing,  he  remarked  that  "peace on 
earth  and  good-will  towards  all  men"  may  possibly  become 
the  universal  law,  when  the  world  is  brought,  as  he  hoped  it 
might  eventually  be,  under  the  domination  of  the  wholly 
Catholic  Church. 

These  reflections  in  justification  of  war,  or  similar  ones  by 
other  members  of  the  Dominican  brotherhood,  may  have  had 
some  influence  upon  the  Christian  princes  of  that  time,  but 
they  could  have  had  none  whatever  upon  the  mind  of  Bear- 
Slayer,  for  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  were  ever  brought  to 
his  attention  by  the  only  person  entertaining  them  that  could 
have  done  so.  But  had  Manuelo  presented  them  in  their  most 
attractive  form,  it  is  doubtful  if  a  favorable  impression  would 
have  been  produced,  since  it  is  recorded  that  in  the  councils 


70  CALIFORNIA 

of  his  nation  Bear-Slayer  invariably  voted  for  peace,  regardless 
of  the  extent  or  enormity  of  the  provocation.  Other  rulers 
of  his  time,  and  in  all  ages,  might  have  followed  his  example 
more  frequently  had  they  been  under  a  similar  necessity  of 
exposing  their  persons  to  the  dangers  likely  to  follow  an  oppo 
site  course. 

XXX. 

THE   MODENS. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  all  that  could  be  said  or  done  in 
opposition,  wars  would  sometimes  occur,  forced  on,  as  it  were, 
against  the  will  and  wish  of  the  principal  chief.  The  nation 
with  which  the  Santos  were  most  apt  to  fall  into  collision  was 
the  one  lying  to  the  north,  called  the  Modens,  or  Oaks,  a  name 
presumably  bestowed  upon  them  because  of  their  strength,  or, 
mayhap,  on  account  of  their  fondness  for  acorns.  The 
Modens  were  well  known  to  be  an  exceedingly  warlike  people, 
and  between  them  and  the  Santos  many  bloody  fights,  in  past 
ages,  had  occurred,  and  often  with  doubtful  results.  These 
two  nations  were  hereditary  enemies.  Like  the  Greeks  and 
Trojans,  or  like  the  Carthaginians  and  Romans,  they  were  im 
placable  foes,  and  hostilities  were  liable  to  break  out  between 
them  at  any  moment  and  upon  the  slightest  provocation. 

A  wide  space  of  territory  lay  spread  out  between  the  Santos 
and  the  Modens,  unoccupied,  except  now  and  then  by  hunting 
parties,  or  in  case  of  war  by  the  armies  of  the  respective 
nations.  Though  untenanted,  this  region  was  far  from  being,  in 
any  proper  sense,  neutral  territory,  for  it  was  claimed  by  both 
peoples,  and  had  been  the  scene  of  many  a  desperate  conflict. 
A  much  more  fitting  appellation  would  have  been  "  the  dark 
and  bloody  ground,"  for  such  it  really  was. 

The  undisputed  country  of  the  Modens  stretched  far  to  the 
northward,  and  was  watered  throughout  by  a  great  river  with 
numerous  tributaries.  The  river,  the  one  afterwards  named 


350  YEARS  AGO.  71 

the  Sacramento,  was  then  known  as  the  river  of  the  Modens. 
In  like  manner  their  capital  city,  which  rivaled  in  extent  the 
one  on  the  Bay,  was  called  the  city  of  the  Modens.  Its  exact 
situation,  from  the  facts  that  are  transmitted,  if  properly 
sought  out,  would  be  found  to  have  been  where  a  branch  from 
the  mountains  comes  down  on  the  plains  and  unites  with  the 
principal  arm  of  the  river.  In  long  after  years  a  town  was 
there  built  on  the  site  of  the  first,  by  the  conquering  whites, 
and  was  called  by  them  the  city  of  Uba;  but  that,  like  the  first 
great  city  there  built,  has  gone  into  lasting  decay. 

From  the  best  information  that  now  can  be  had  concerning 
the  land  in  dispute,  it  is  that  which  spreads  out  between  the  two 
rivers,  in  after  times  known  as  the  American  and  the  Cosumnes, 
and  the  most  famous  battle  that  ever  took  place  between  the 
two  belligerents  was  fought  near  the  site  of  the  capital  of  that 
great  commonwealth  which  now  comprehends  the  land  of 
both  nations.  At  that  time  the  Santos,  like  the  French  after 
wards  at  Austerlitz,  were  victorious  and  drove  the  enemy  into 
the  river,  where  great  numbers  perished  by  drowning.  For 
ages  following,  the  place  was  famous  on  account  of  this  battle, 
and  it  is  a  notable  circumstance  that  the  works  from  which  the 
Modens  were  then  driven  were  long  afterwards  occupied  as  a 
place  of  defense  against  the  descendants  of  its  constructors, 
by  a  military  chieftain  of  an  entirely  different  race,  and  became 
widely  known  as  Sutter's  Fort.  The  data,  in  the  manuscript 
from  which  this  conclusion  is  drawn  are  not  altogether  dis 
tinct  and  legible,  and  the  inference  itself  may  not  be  in  strict 
accordance  with  what  is  stated  in  the  scroll,  but  it  is  none  the 
less  reliable  on  that  account,  since  all  history,  and  especially 
history  of  wars,  is  largely  inferential,  and  seldom  more  authen 
tic  than  this. 


72  CALIFORNIA 

XXXI. 

SOME  REFLECTIONS. 

BUT  in  order  that  we  may  follow  with  fidelity  the  thread  of 
this  narrative,  it  will  be  necessary  to  return  to  the  chief  s  home, 
where  some  little  time  since  we  left  Manuelo  arrayed  in  his 
new  garments  of  skins,  the  admiration  not  more  of  the  com 
mon  people  than  of  the  head  chief  himself.  His  influence  in 
his  capacity  of  prophet  and  prince  was  all  that  he  really 
needed;  but  it  was  immensely  augmented  by  his  success  as  a 
tailor  and  a  leader  of  fashions.  But  it  is  well  understood  that 
influence  implies  obligations,  and  Manuelo  could  not  expect 
to  retain  his  power  and  standing  at  court  without  the  per 
formance  of  such  duties  as  his  reputation  imposed  upon  him. 

It  is  one  of  the  consolations  of  poverty,  says  Justino,  and  at 
the  same  time  no  slight  compensation  for  humility  in  life,  that 
little  is  required  of  persons  under  such  circumstances.  In 
stances  are  many,  and  as  sad  as  numerous,  where  sudden 
transitions  from  want  to  affluence,  and  from  humiliation  to 
authority,  have  resulted  in  great  embarrassment,  and  even  in 
misery.  We  are  taught  that  happiness  at  best  is  but  fleeting 
and  illusory.  Some  philosophers  have  maintained,  on  the 
authority  of  personal  experience  it  may  be,  that  true  enjoyment 
consists  in  the  pursuit  of  blessings,  and  not  in  their  fruition, — 
in  hope  and  nothing  more.  The  consolations  of  religion  are 
all  of  that  character.  It  is  the  hope  of  Heaven  alone,  says 
the  good  friar,  that  makes  us  happy  in  this  world;  and  without 
that  hope  he  thought  all  mankind  must  be  miserable.  That 
happiness  is  more  in  the  anticipation  than  in  the  enjoyment  is 
abundantly  shown  by  the  increased  anxiety  always  entailed 
upon  those  who  are  supposed  to  have  actually  attained  it.  The 
most  successful  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth  and  honors  are  often 
the  least  contented  of  mortals ;  and  the  Dominicans  in  their 
pious  wisdom  argued  as  follows:  "  To  want  is  to  be  miserable; 


350  YEARS  AGO.  73 

who  wants  most  is  most  miserable;  who  has  most  wants  most; 
therefore,  who  has  most  is  most  miserable." 

Authority  is  sometimes  useful  no  doubt  to  him  who 
possesses  it,  but  in  the  hands  of  the  upright  it  is  more  fre 
quently  wielded  for  the  benefit  of  others.  To  some  it  is 
an  absolute  burden,  and  so  it  proved  to  be  in  the  case  of 
Manuelo;  for  though  inclined  to  ease  and  comfort,  he  was  not 
permitted  to  enjoy  those  blessings.  That  otium  cum  dignitate 
which  often  falls  to  the  lot  of  hereditary  princes,  was  never 
accorded  to  him.  The  fates  were  adverse  to  such  a  consumma 
tion;  but  this  must  be  attributed  largely  to  the  natural  benef 
icence  of  his  character.  So  far  from  wielding  his  power,  ex 
tensive  as  it  now  was,  for  purposes  of  oppression,  he  was 
absolutely  oppressed  by  it.  Nor  did  there  appear  to  be  any 
relief  in  his  case.  The  future,  so  far  as  he  could  perceive,  was 
beset  with  darkness  and  despondency.  Princes  before  him 
have  found  themselves  in  a  similar  dilemma,  and  a  conspicuous 
example  was  the  mighty  Charles  V.,  whose  faithful  subject 
Manuelo  had  been  before  setting  up  the  standard  of  royalty  on 
his  own  account.  But  that  renowned  monarch  was  able  to 
elude  his  troubles  by  taking  shelter  under  cover  of  monastic 
life.  When  political  storms  were  howling  loudest,  he  aban 
doned  his  throne  and  retired  to  a  friendly  convent.  But  there 
was  no  resort  of  that  sort  for  Manuelo.  In  all  that  coun 
try,  afterwards  so  distinguished  for  its  religious  establishments, 
there  was  not  then  a  single  one  to  which  he  could  have 
fled,  and  those  -with  whom  his  fortunes  were  cast  expected  of 
him  far  more  than  was  ever  demanded,  by  his  subjects,  of 
Charles,  who  was  only  king  or  emperor  at  most,  while  Manuelo 
was  at  once  prince,  prophet,  and  tailor,  and  so  conspicuous  in 
each  of  these  lines  that  the  people  were  ill-disposed  to  concede 
any  limit  to  his  power— he  could  not,  without  great  danger  to 
himself,  disabuse  their  crude  minds  of  this  notion.  To  have 
done  so  might  have  proved  fatal  to  him,  and  it  certainly  would 


74  CALIFORNIA 

have  been  disastrous  to  his  hopes  of  escaping  from  that  coun 
try;  for  be  it  remembered,  if  the  fact  has  not  already  been 
stated,  that  he  ever  entertained  the  idea  that  at  some  future 
period  he  would  be  able  to  reach  a  Spanish  settlement  by  trav 
eling  to  the  southward. 

Sailors,  as  all  are  aware,  are  proverbially  restless,  and  so  was 
Manuelo  by  nature.  Even  the  character  of  prince,  which  he 
now  enjoyed,  or  rather,  we  should  say,  which  he  suffered,  for 
there  was  little  enjoyment  in  it  for  him  at  this  time,  did  not 
enable  him  to  entirely  conquer  that  disposition.  Indeed,  it 
was  by  maintaining  that  assumed  character  that  he  hoped 
eventually  to  make  good  his  escape  from  Bear-Slayer's  domin 
ions.  For  these  reasons  his  embarrassment  was  greater  than 
that  of  King  Charles,  since  the  danger  to  the  latter  was  only 
in  retaining  authority,  from  which  danger  he  was  able  to  escape 
by  divesting  himself  of  the  same;  while  the  danger  to  Man 
uelo  was  in  retaining  his  power  and  as  well  in  laying  it  down, 
and  as  much  in  the  one  as  the  other. 

Manuelo's  uncomfortable  situation  was  cited  by  the  good 
friar  as  a  timely  warning  against  persons  assuming  to  be  what 
they  are  not,  and  for  the  avoidance  of  undertakings  which  cannot 
be  performed.  He  thought  the  dilemma  might  well  be 
regarded  as  evidence  of  heavenly  wrath  towards  Manuelo  for 
pretending  to  priestly  functions,  for  which  he  was  illy  pre 
pared  by  study  and  pious  reflections.  Nevertheless  the  sym 
pathetic  heart  of  Justino  was  moved  towards  him,  because,  as 
has  been  argued,  one's  commiseration  for  others  is  measured, 
not  by  the  amount  of  their  sufferings,  but  by  their  supposed 
sensibility.  Even  beggars  are  sometimes  moved  to  tears  by 
the  misfortunes  of  the  great,  while  their  own  are  borne  with 
the  utmost  indifference.  We  are  most  apt  to  pity  in  others 
those  evils  from  which  we  think  ourselves  not  exempt,  since  we 
hope  at  some  time  to  enjoy  the  like  commiseration.  It  is  not 
in  human  nature  to  sympathize  with  persons  happier  than  our- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  75 

selves,  but  only  with  those  who  are  thought  to  be  more 
miserable. 

These  seasonable  reflections  of  the  good  friar,  or,  possibly, 
of  the  monks  of  Evora,  must  have  been  intended  more  for  the 
consolation  of  mankind  in  general  than  Manuelo,  who  could 
see  no  alternative  but  to  make  the  most  of  his  situation.  The 
line  of  deception  which  he  had  been  practicing  for  some  time, 
and  which  in  fairness,  it  should  be  confessed,  had  been  partly 
forced  upon  him  by  circumstances,  must  needs  be  followed  out 
at  all  hazards. 

The  world  in  which  we  live  is  full  of  delusions,  and  so  much 
satisfaction  do  people  in  general  derive  from  their  contempla 
tion,  that  it  is  often  counted  a  crime  to  dispel  them.  By  far 
the  larger  share  of  the  laws  of  all  enlightened  countries  are 
enacted  for  the  protection  of  delusions,  and  why  should  Man 
uelo  be  condemned  for  practicing  what  is  so  common.  Princes 
and  priests  alike  pretend  to"  the  possession  of  divine  authority, 
and  the  claims  of  Manuelo  were  surely  no  more  to  be  doubted 
than  theirs.  The  difference  between  him  and  other  princes 
and  priests  was,  that  while  he  was  greatly  distressed  by 
such  pretensions,  they  usually  rest  but  too  easily  under  them. 
His  claims  to  distinction  ought  to  be  counted  even  better  than 
theirs,  for  his  were  not  founded  upon  supernatural  authority  at 
all,  but  were  the  legitimate  creation  of  his  own  genius. 

But  Manuelo's  assumptions  were  not  all  delusions ;  his  pre 
tensions  were  by  no  means  all  hollow.  A  veritable  tailor  he 
had  proved  himself  to  be,  and  had  succeeded  so  well  in  that 
character  that  he  very  properly  concluded  it  might  be  in  place 
for  him  to  impart  instructions  to  these  rude  people  in  other 
branches  of  industry.  For  such  duties  he  regarded  himself  as 
eminently  fitted  by  his  superior  knowledge  and  Christian  edu 
cation.  But  coming,  as  he  did,  with  only  his  arms,  and  with 
out  industrial  implements,  he  found  himself  wofully  wanting, 
in  the  means  of  carrying  out  his  intentions,  and  it  was  im- 


76  CALIFORNIA 

possible  in  that  country  to  supply  the  deficiency.  In  the  matter 
of  cooking,  he  sought  to  impart  information,  but  did  not  succeed 
as  he  hoped,  for  the  want  of  the  requisite  implements.  A  still 
greater  obstacle  that  stood  in  his  way  as  a  cook  was  a  lack  of 
the  needed  experience.  A  mere  sailor-man  had  he  been  on 
shipboard,  and  never  at  all  a  sea-cook,  though  from  aught  that 
appears,  as  Justino  most  gravely  suggested,  in  view  of  his  under 
taking,  the  descendant  of  such  a  person  he  might  possibly 
have  been.  But  his  efforts  in  this  direction  were  largely  a 
failure,  and  were,  therefore,  from  the  necessities  of  the  situation 
abandoned. 

XXXII. 

FISHING. 

WHILE  failing  in  some,  Manuelo  enjoyed  the  completest  suc 
cess  in  other  pursuits.  With  a  sort  of  harpoon  made  in  form 
of  a  spear,  for  that  purpose,  he  boldly  attacked  a  huge  whale  in 
the  harbor.  In  the  earliest  part  of  his  life  he  had  been  on  a 
voyage  or  two  in  search  of  those  monsters  of  the  deep,  and 
understood  full  well  just  how  to  approach  with  safety  and  to 
conquer  that  formidable  creature.  To  the  boundless  astonish 
ment  of  the  natives  he  now  put  his 'knowledge  and  skill  in  suc 
cessful  practice. 

WTith  the  aid  of  a  host  of  the  men  in  their  boats,  he  towed 
the  huge  carcass  ashore,  and  with  his  sharp  sword  hacked  it 
to  pieces,  in  presence  of  the  multitude.  The  blubber  was 
used  for  both  fuel  and  light,  lamps  being  constructed  out  of 
sea-shells.  From  the  fibrous  bark  of  a  tree  wicks  were  pre 
pared,  and  thus  he  taught  the  Santos  to  illuminate  their  dwell 
ings.  From  the  limber  bone  of  the  whale  many  curious  articles 
were  made,  but  none  of  particular  use. 

In  fishing  Manuelo  was  expert,  excelling,  in  that  particular 
sport,  all  others.  He  invented  new  methods  of  taking  the 
salmon,  which  abounded  in  the  rivers  and  bays  of  that  country, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  77 

and  he  instructed  the  people  in  the  art  of  drying  and  pre 
serving  that  fish. 

The  man-eating  shark,  of  which  all  the  natives  were  in  horri 
ble  dread,  he  could  handle  with  ease,  and  of  these  he  destroyed 
not  a  few,  his  feats  in  that  line  commanding  unbounded  ap 
plause. 

On  the  islands  of  the  Bay,  there  were,  at  that  time,  swarms 
of  seals,  and  sea-lions,  or  lobos,  wolves  of  the  sea,  as  termed  by 
the  Spaniards,  between  whom  and  the  natives  a  mutual  fear 
existed;  but  Manuelo  taught  the  men  how  to  capture  these  brutes, 
and  of  their  skins  to  make  couches  and  carpets,  thus  adding  to 
the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  people. 

XXXIII. 

A  SHIPWRECK. 

IN  all  that  pertained  to  the  water,  Manuelo's  skill,  as  re 
marked,  was  complete;  but,  lacking  the  tools,  he  was  baffled  in 
building  a  boat.  This  difficult  task,  however,  was  in  a  manner 
overcome  by  placing  two  canoes  side  by  side,  and  binding  them 
together,  by  lashing  timbers  athwart-ships,  fore  and  aft,  with 
rawhide.  In  this  manner  he  constructed  a  craft  quite  new  to 
the  natives  and  very  convenient  withal.  Sails  were  made  for 
this  boat  out  of  skins,  and  with  these  unfurled,  the  Bay  was 
navigated,  hither  and  thither,  by  the  force  of  the  wind,  to  the 
great  delight  of  the  people,  and  without  the  use  of  the  paddle. 
So  marked  was  his  success  in  this  line,  that  he  might  have 
added  to  his  other  distinctions,  it  was  thought,  the  title  of  Great 
Admiral.  But  this,  adds  the  author,  was  only  a  little  piece 
of  pleasantry  of  Manuelo's,  and  belongs  not  to  the  body  of  the 
history. 

But  what  does  belong  to  it,  as  of  much  more  serious  import, 
is  the  fact  that  he  discovered,  even  at  that  early  day,  the  dan 
ger  to  small  craft  of  being  carried  out  to  sea,  on  ebb-tide. 


78  CALIFORNIA 

Through  the  narrow  entrance  to  this  harbor,  widely  known, 
in  after  ages,  as  the  Golden  Gate,  then  as  now  rushed  the  cur 
rents  of  the  ocean  to  and  fro  at  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide, 
with  great  impetuosity.  This  phenomenon,  so  shrewdly  ob 
served  by  Manuelo,  might  not  have  been  mentioned  but  for 
the  circumstance  of  his  having  been  incautiously  borne,  to 
gether  with  eight  stalwart  Santos  who  were  with  him  in  the 
boat,  out  to  sea  on  one  of  those  fast-ebbing  tides. 

By  education,  if  not  by  nature,  he  was  fond  of  the  sea;  but 
this  particular  voyage  was  nevertheless  undertaken  most  un 
willingly,  though  his  reluctance  to  entering  upon  it  proved  of  no 
avail.  The  sails  of  his  shallop,  on  that  occasion,  were  of  little 
use,  and  night  coming  on  with  a  fearful  storm,  he  was  carried 
far  away  from  the  land.  Without  chart  or  compass,  he  must 
have  been  lost  on  the  watery  expanse,  but  for  the  un remitted 
exertions  of  his  brave  companions,  who  vigorously  pulled  all 
the  while  for  the  shore.* 

As  it  was,  and  in  spite  of  their  efforts,  they  drifted  many 
leagues  down  the  coast,  and  only  succeeded  in  landing  at 
great  peril  of  their  lives.  The  vessel  itself  was  wrecked  and 
soon  went  to  pieces  on  the  rugged,  rocky  shore. 

Owing  to  good  management,  it  must  have  been,  rather  than 
to  the  favors  of  fortune,  the  lives  of  the  men  were  all  saved, 
and  a  landing  effected.  More  dead  than  alive,  from  rolling  in 
the  surf,  the  men  crawled  ashore,  and  eventually  finding  their 
way  to  a  neighboring  settlement  were  kindly  cared  for. 

On  the  following  day  the  shipwrecked  crew  took  up  their 
line  of  march,  single  file,  but  empty-handed,  through  forests 


*It  is  a  strange  coincidence,  and  worthy  of  note,  that  the  very  day 
this  chapter  was  completed  and  ready  for  the  printer,  eight  small  boys 
drifted  far  out  to  sea  on  the  receding-  tide,  in  a  punt,  a  craft  not  unlike  that 
of  Manuelo's,  and  were  rescued  from  their  exceedingly  perilous  situation  by 
one  Antonio,  presumably  a  countryman  of  our  hero.  For  particulars 
see  San  Francisco  papers  of  September  27,  1887. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  79 

and  over  mountains  to  their  homes,  but  too  glad  to  make  their 
escape  in  that  way. 

Hitherto  good  luck  had  attended  Manuelo  in  all  his  voy 
ages,  this  being  the  first  disaster  of  the  kind  that. had  ever  be 
fallen  him.  It  was  a  sort  of  turning-point  in  his  career,  and 
was  followed  by  other  calamities,  which  he  attributed  to  this  as 
the  beginning.  It  was  true  then  as  now  that  misfortunes  come 
not  singly  but  like  birds  of  evil  omen,  in  flocks,  and  he  was 
consequently  doomed  by  irresistible  fate  to  undergo  trials 
which  might  have  discouraged  a  person  of  less  fortitude. 

This  little  experience  of  Manuelo  in  the  breakers  not  only 
thoroughly  wetted  his  garments  but  it  likewise  dampened  his 
ardor  somewhat  for  maritime  pursuits,  for  though  he  afterwards 
constructed  a  new  boat  precisely  after  the  form  of  the  one  lost, 
he  was  much  less  venturesome  in  it  than  he  had  been  in  the 
first,  and  only  indulged  in  sailing  it  up  and  down  the  smooth 
waters  of  the  Bay,  always  keeping  near  the  shore  and  closely 
observing  the  tides.  One  calamity  of  this  kind,  he  thought, 
ought  to  suffice  for  a  life-time,  and  he  wisely  determined  that 
his  experience  just  narrated  should  have  that  distinction. 

XXXIV. 

A  SEA  FIGHT. 

IN  one  of  those  ventures  with  his  new  craft  in  the  interior 
of  the  country,  it  being  at  the  time  of  a  flood,  when  the  plains 
were  all  covered  with  water  far  and  wide  like  a  lake,  as  since 
they  have  frequently  been,  he  mistook  the  true  course  of  the 
river,  and  was  himself,  with  his  men,  somewhat  bewildered. 
Not  knowing  just  whither  he  went,  and  encroaching  upon  the 
enemy's  territory,  he  was,  as  might  have  been  expected,  hotly 
pursued  by  many  hostile  canoes.  When  overtaken,  as  he  soon 
was,  a  most  desperate  encounter  ensued,  which  resulted  in 
wounds  to  himself  and  his  men.  Though  a  running  conflict. 


80  CALIFORNIA 

from  beginning  to  end,  it  was  fought  with  remarkable  valor. 
The  Modens,  for  it  was  they  who  were  then  giving  chase,  out 
numbered  the  Santos  many  times,  which  greatly  inspired  the 
pursuit.  Warmly  waged  was  the  battle,  and  it  appeared  nearly 
lost  when  the  new-fangled  bark  fortunately  striking  a  current 
in  the  river,  and  at  the  same  time  a  friendly  breeze  filling  her 
sails,  she  made  good  her  escape. 

Manuelo  fought  bravely,  as,  inspired  by  his  courage,  did  like 
wise  his  men,  and  not  one  was  seriously  injured,  while  some  of 
the  Modens  were  killed  outright,  and  their  bodies  next  day 
floated  out  on  the  tide.  This  is  thought  to  have  been  the  only 
engagement  of  the  kind  that  ever  took  place  on  those  interior 
waters,  and  for  cool  daring  and  skill,  from  beginning  to  end, 
may  never  be  equaled  again. 

The  reputation  of  Manuelo  as  a  nautical  man,  which  had 
been  seriously  impaired  by  his  shipwreck,  was  fully  restored  by 
the  tact  displayed  in  this  encounter,  and  again  he  would  have 
been  happy  but  for  the  wounds  he  received,  which  after  all 
were  not  wounds,  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word,  but  only 
contusions.  His  thick  bear-skin  blouse  proved  a  good  coat  of 
mail,  and  shielded  him  from  the  enemy's  darts;  but  it  could 
not  protect  him  from  a  sound  beating,  from  which  he  suffered 
many  days. 

His  trip  out  at  sea  had  taught  him  a  lesson  of  caution  against 
such  adventures  in  future,  and  so,  in  like  manner,  his  fight  on 
the  river  and  narrow  escape  had  the  effect  to  make  him  more 
prudent  and  to  turn  his  attention  towards  peaceful  pursuits  on 
the  shore. 

XXXV. 

SANTOS    INDUSTRIES. 

THE  domestic  duties  of  those  early  dwellers  on  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco  were  divided  between  the  sexes  as  with  people 
in  some  stages  of  advancement  the  world  over.  Upon  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  81 

men,  as  among  the  Yonos,  devolved  the  duty  of  hunting  and 
fishing,  and  also,  in  part,  of  drying  and  preserving  the  fish,  and 
the  flesh  of  their  game,  for  subsequent  use.  It  was  in  like 
manner  their  duty  to  construct  their  weapons  of  war,  their 
traps,  their  hunting  implements,  and  fishing  tackle.  Not 
unfrequently,  also,  the  obligation  devolved  on  the  men  of  pro 
viding  their  own  clothing  and  shelter.  Their  houses  were 
built  by  the  males  as  a  rule,  though  in  getting  together  mate 
rials  for  their  construction,  the  women  were  expected  to  take 
an  active  part.  But  the  dwelling  once  completed  and  furnished, 
it  became  the  duty  of  the  wife  to  keep  it  in  order,  a  duty  she 
never  neglected.  The  preparation  of  food  and  the  cooking 
thereof,  when  that  was  required,  ever  after  Manuelo's  unfortu 
nate  failure,  devolved  on  the  gentler  sex. 

A  calling  in  which  the  women  and  girls  were  particularly 
expert  was  the  making  of  baskets.  These  were  constructed  of 
various  sizes  and  shapes,  and  tastefully  ornamented.  They  were 
fabricated  of  different  materials  carefully  selected.  Some  of 
the  wild  grasses  used  in  their  construction  were  as  fragrant  as 
roses,  and  such  were  highly  prized  by  the  maidens  for  their 
sweetness. 

Gifts  of  berries  and  flowers  were  presented  in  these  baskets, 
a  practice  quite  common  among  them,  and  one  which  Justino 
thought  extremely  befitting  in  that  land  of  perennial  spring. 

Wild  cherries  and  plums,  in  profusion,  were  found  on  the 
mountains,  and  grapes  and  nuts  in  abundance  on  the  slopes  of 
the  hills.  Berries  of  various  sorts  were  obtained  in  the  valleys 
and  gulches  and  were  picked  by  the  women  and  children. 
Far  and  near  were  they  sought,  but  whenever  they  were 
gathered  in  dangerous  parts,  an  escort  of  young  men,  well  armed 
with  arrows  and  spears,  attended  the  party  to  protect  the  indus 
trious  women  and  children  against  the  attacks  of  wild  beast,  or 
perchance  wilder  men  from  some  other  nation, 


82  CALIFORNIA 

XXXVI. 

SOME  LEGENDS. 

OF  the  bounteous  products  of  nature,  large  store  was  laid  up 
by  these  people  for  use  in  the  lengthening  winter  season,  at 
which  time,  while  enjoying  the  same,  thrilling  stories  of  advent 
ures  were  narrated.  Tales  of  hair-breadth  escapes  occurring  on 
these  expeditions  formed  largely  the  staple  of  entertainment 
for  children,  if  not  of  adults,  during  these  long,  peaceful  eve 
nings.  By  custom  long  established,  their  stories  were  told  in 
rythmical  numbers,  and  were  thus  handed  down,  like  the 
works  of  old  Homer,  by  word  of  mouth,  from  one  generation 
to  another,  and  some  from  the  remotest  of  times.  It  will  be 
deplored  by  the  reader,  as  it  is  by  the  translator,  that  Manuelo, 
when  relating  these  occurrences,  not  being  in  a  fanciful  mood, 
failed  to  preserve  the  rythm  of  the  tales.  Since,  then,  we  must 
needs  disregard  their  harmony,  we  will  greatly  abridge  the  few 
that  are  cited,  and  relate  them  in  the  plainest  of  prose.  In  the 
fast  it  was  told  how  an  infant  was  left  by  its  mother  to  rest  in 
the  shade  of '  a  tree  while  she  wandered  some  distance  away; 
but  too  long  neglected,  the  babe  awoke  from  its  sleep,  and,  by 
its  cries,  attracted  the  attention  of  a  she-panther,  and  before 
the  distressed  mother  could  come  to  its  rescue,  the  babe  was 
borne  away  by  the  brute  to  its  lair.  The  young  of  the  panther, 
like  the  babe,  were  crying  with  hunger  when  the  old  one 
Returned,  and  the  motherly  heart  of  the  dam,  it  is  said,  with 
pity  was  moved,  and  she  nursed  the  young  child  with  her  own 
progeny.  The  babe  and  the  whelps,  in  the  same  hollow  tree, 
were  protected;  but  the  Indian  mother  grieved  over  the  loss  of 
her  infant,  and  remained  in  despair  till  a  fairy  informed  her, 
while  sleeping,  as  plainly  as  anything  could,  that  her  child  was 
still  living  and  well.  The  fond,  weeping  mother,  inspired  by 
this  comforting  dream,  wandered  forth  from  her  home,  and 
sought  for  her  little  one  by  night  and  by  day,  regardless  of 


350  YEARS  AGO.  83 

danger,  all  the  while  roaming  through  woods  dark  and  dismal, 
when  at  last,  from  afar,  she  espied,  or,  perchance,  it  was  that 
she  heard  the  child  cry,  and  approaching  discovered  it  nestling 
by  the  side  of  its  captor.  They  told  how  she  longed  to  go 
near  it,  but  could  not  with  safety  for  fear  of  arousing  the  pan 
ther,  and  she  therefore  waited  and  watched  where  she  was  a 
night  and  a  day,  expecting  in  case  she  disturbed  the  fierce 
brute  it  would  quickly  devour  her  poor  child,  and  how  she 
continued  in  frightful  suspense  till  the  panther  went  forth  seek 
ing  food,  when  the  mother,  with  caution  advancing,  seized  the 
child  and  made  good  her  return  to  the  village. 

It  was  also  related,  or  rather  was  sung,  how  a  beautiful 
maiden  was  seized  by  a  great  grizzly  bear,  and  was  carried 
away  to  the  woods,  and  when  this  became  known,  how  her 
lover  pursued  in  hot  haste,  and  boldly  attacked  the  huge  beast. 
A  frightful  encounter  ensued,  unequaled  in  strength,  it  is  true, 
but  likewise  unequaled  in  skill  and  in  courage.  Greater 
strength  was  possessed  by  the  bear,  but  more  skill  to  the  young 
man  belonged,  and  so,  in  the  end,  he  recovered  his  sweetheart, 
but  not  before  he  was  himself  severely  wounded.  The  cries  of 
the  maiden  helped  much  in  the  fight,  and  it  may  be  presumed 
the  young  man  was  encouraged  thereby,  while  the  bear  by  the 
same  was  rendered  more  shy.  This  lover,  contending  so 
bravely  for  his  sweetheart,  became  very  great  in  his  subsequent 
life,  and  the  same  was  Bear-Slayer  the  king. 

It  was  likewise  related  how  persons  were  lost  and  wan 
dered  away  many  leagues  among  mountains  and  valleys, 
unknown,  subsisting  on  berries  for  days  and  for  moons;  how 
some  of  such  perished  of  hunger  and  cold,  as  their  ghosts  on 
returning  would  tell,  while  others,  more  lucky,  would  find  their 
way  home  after  dangers  and  privations  so  great  as  to  baffle 
description. 

Still  others,  in  seeking  wild  grapes  and  in  hunting  for  nuts 
and  for  fruit,  would  venture  too  far  to  the  east,  or  the  north, 


84  CALIFORNIA 

and  be  seized  and  enslaved  by  the  men  of  some  cruel,  inimical 
nation. 

Such  is  the  brief  outline  of  a  few  of  the  stories  the  Santos 
were  accustomed  to  relate  in  their  long  winter  nights  in  order 
to  while  away  time,  which  otherwise  might  have  hung  heavily 
upon  their  hands. 

XXXVII. 
WINNING  A  SWEETHEART. 

WITH  less  purpose  to  gather  berries  than  to  protect  those 
who  gathered  them,  Manuelo  sometimes  accompanied  parties 
going  forth  for  that  purpose.  On  such  occasions  he  had  the 
forethought  to  arm  himself  properly,  and  was  therefore  n.ver 
without  the  means  of  defense.  Owing  to  this  precaution,  he 
was  fortunate  enough  on  one  of  these  expeditions  to  have  a 
successful  encounter  with  an  animal  of  the  feline  species;  but 
whether  panther,  or  tiger,  or  only  a  huge  wild  cat,  Justino  has 
left  us  in  doubt.  Whichever  it  was,  the  creature  had  climbed  a 
large  inclining  tree,  and  crouching  on  one  of  its  branches, 
was  pelted  with  stones  by  the  natives,  and  pierced  by  some 
of  their  darts. 

Manuelo,  who  seldom  knew  fear,  approached  too  near  to  the 
tree,  when  the  monster,  quickly  descending,  t:ame  with  great 
fury  upon  him.  At  first  he  thought  to  use  in  defense  one  of 
his  pistols,  but  time  was  too  short  to  restore  his  lost  priming,  so 
he  drew  his  sharp  sword,  and  with  one  fell  stroke  cleft  the  head 
of  the  brute  quite  in  twain.  Writhing  in  agony  for  a  few  mo 
ments  on  the  ground  where  it  lay,  it  expired. 

From  this  sudden  encounter,  he  came  off  without  so  much 
as  a  scratch,  but  it  was  by  a  scratch,  as  he  remarked,  that  he 
escaped.  When  the  creature  was  first  observed  to  approach, 
Manuelo,  like  the  more  prudent  of  the  boys,  was  inclined,  for 
his  safety,  to  run;  but  a  moment's  reflection  dispelled  that  pur 
pose.  There  were  two  considerations  then  pressing  upon  his 


350  YEARS  AGO  85 

mind,  either  of  which  was  sufficient  to  deter  him  from  such  a 
course.  To  escape  by  running  he  might  not  be  able,  and  to 
have  done  so,  at  that  particular  time,  would  have  been,  as  it 
plainly  appeared  to  him,  both  cowardly  and  disgraceful,  since  it 
must  have  exposed  to  the  fury  of  the  beast  certain  maidens 
who  were  gathering  berries  close  by,  and  among  them  one  who 
seemed  to  him  the  fairest  and  brightest  in  all  the  land — a  young 
girl  whose  Indian  name  was  Alola.  Of  this  fair  damsel  Man- 
uelo  was  then  the  particular  friend  and  self-constituted  guard 
ian.  Indeed,  it  is  thought  he  would  not  have  gone  after  berries 
at  all  if  Alola  had  not  led  the  way,  and  it  would  have  been 
base  for  a  Spaniard  like  him  to  have  abandoned  such  a  beauti 
ful  girl  to  be  torn  by  a  monster  of  any  description. 

On  his  killing  the  cat,  or  whatever  it  was,  loud  praises  went 
up  from  the  crowd,  but  the  loudest  acclaims  were  less  valued 
by  him  than  the  blushes  of  the  charming  Alola.  When  she 
saw  the  encounter,  she  cried  with  affright  and  almost  fainted 
with  fear;  but  at  the  result  she  screamed  with  delight,  and  for 
joy  shed  many  a  tear. 

It  can  hardly  be  necessary  to  add  in  any  plainer  language 
than  has  already  expressed  it,  that  Manuelo  had  conceived  a 
strong  attachment  for  this  girl,  and  the  saddest  thing  that 
could  have  happened,  and  worse  a  thousand  times  than  any 
calamity  to  himself,  would  have  been  the  mutilation  of  her 
prepossessing  features  by  the  claws  of  some  wild  animal. 

NOTE. — Here  a  very  considerable  space  in  the  original,  nearly  a 
whole  chapter,  in  fact,  has  been  omitted  entirely  by  those  meddlesome 
gentry  at  Evora,  for  no  other  or  better  reason  than  that,  in  their  judg 
ment,  it  was  too  light  reading  for  history,  and  might  prove  interesting  to 
young  and  giddy  people  only. 


86  CALIFORNIA 

XXXVIII. 

A  BEAR  FIGHT. 

FEROCIOUS  beasts  of  different  species,  and  particularly 
grizzly  bears,  were  then  quite  common  in  that  country,  as  indeed 
they  continued  to  be  long  years  afterwards,  and  even  down  to 
the  time  when  California  was  finally  overrun  by  other  races  of 
men.  These  huge  animals,  many  of  which  far  exceeded  in 
weight  the  ox  or  the  horse,  were  a  source  of  great  annoyance 
to  the  Santos  nation.  They  abounded  in  certain  parts  of  the 
country,  but  were  migratory  in  the  season  of  fruits  and  nuts, 
foraging  far  and  wide,  and  not  unfrequently  making  serious  in 
roads  upon  the  native  settlements.  Their  natural  home,  no 
doubt,  was  in  the  mountains,  but  they  were  by  no  means  con 
tent  the  year  through  with  what  could  be  obtained  for  food  in 
any  one  locality.  Sometimes  in  gangs  numbering  from  half  a 
score  to  half  a  hundred,  they  would  descend  into  the  valleys, 
coming  quite  down  to  the  borders  of  the  rivers  and  bays  with 
great  boldness,  causing  infinite  trepidation  among  the  women 
and  children,  and  even  among  the  men. 

Next  to  the  vigorous  Modens,  the  most  dangerous  enemy  of 
the  swift-footed  Santos  was  the  grizzly  bear,  and  it  is  hard  to 
say  which  of  the  two  was  at  times  the  more  dreaded.  Of  these 
enemies  the  bear  was  certainly  the  more  insidious,  often  mak 
ing  his  appearance  at  dead  of  night,  and  on  most  unexpected 
occasions.  The  half-domesticated  animals  of  the  natives  were 
frequently  carried  away  by  them,  and  now  and  then  a  child, 
venturing  too  far  from  its  home,  shared  the  same  fate,  to  the 
immeasurable  distress  of  its  parents. 

On  occasions  like  these  the  alarm  spread  abroad,  and  the 
men  of  the  tribe,  the  fleetest  and  best,  all  armed  to  the  teeth, 
in  great  haste  sallied  forth  to  avenge  the  offense,  which  was  all 
that  could  be  done,  for  the  child  was  seldom  recovered  alive. 
At  the  head  of  a  crowd  in  pursuit  of  the  bears,  as  in  duty 


350  YEARS  AGO.  87 

bound,  the  chief  always  appeared,  and  whenever  the  alarm  oc 
curred  in  a  large  village,  the  head  chief  himself  was  found  in 
the  lead.  But  whether  chieftain  or  king,  he  was  never  de 
serted  in  the  fight,  for  his  men  would  never  abandon  him,  how 
ever  dangerous  or  desperate  the  conflict. 

As  a  usual  thing  the  bear  or  other  animal  pursued  in  such 
manner  was  captured  and  slain,  for  these  Indians  as  hunters 
were  extremely  persistent.  At  the  end  of  the  chase  a  great 
shout  arose,  and  joy  pervaded  the  whole  camp,  every  heart  ap 
parently  being  filled  with-  gladness,  save  that  of  the  bereaved 
mother  whose  child  had  been  borne  away  by  the  brute. 

It  is  a  notable  fact,  as  Manuelo  informs  us,  that  if  the  child 
was  not  devoured  by  the  beast  the  hunters  would  feast  on  the 
flesh  of  the  bear;  but  if  the  bear  devoured  the  child,  they  would 
leave  the  huge  carcass,  hacked  and  torn,  for  the  wolves  to  de 
vour,  or  cast  it  headlong  into  the  Bay  for  the  sharks  and  sea- 
lions  to  feed  upon.  It  would  seem  from  this  statement  that 
these  considerate  men  of  the  forest  scrupled  to  partake  of  the 
flesh  of  a  beast  that  had  fed  on  their  kind,  and  thus  it  would 
appear  that,  though  heathen,  they  were  sometimes  inclined  to 
good  taste.  In  this,  it  was  the  opinion  of  Father  Justine,  they 
manifested  a  higher  state  of  enlightenment  than  is  shown  by 
many  a  more  fastidious  people,  and  that  they  were,  in  fact,  as 
far  removed  from  cannibalism  as  it  was  possible  for  a  people 
to  be. 

In  this  same  connection  it  was  related  by  the  author  that 
on  a  dark  and  stormy  night,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  while  the 
people  were  all  locked  in  the  profoundest  slumber,  a  monstrous 
she-bear,  with  two  cubs  at  her  heels,  impelled  no  doubt  by 
hunger,  invaded  the  city,  and  actually  demolished  the  lodge  of 
a  native  family  near  where  Manuelo  was  sleeping.  The  tumult 
caused  by  this  unexpected  incursion  surpassed  everything  of 
the  kind,  unless  it  might  be  the  commotion  arising  from  the 
violent  shock  of  an  earthquake,  a  thing  but  too  common  in 


88  CALIFORNIA 

that  country.  The  women  and  children  were  frightened  nearly 
out  of  their  wits.  To  say  that  the  men,  and  the  bravest  of 
them,  were  unmoved  by  fear,  would  be  claiming  too  much  for 
their  courage,  unless  we  except  the  only  white  man  in  the  place. 
Before  the  native  hunters  could  gather  their  strength,  the  old 
bear  had  made  good  her  escape,  but  not  so  with  her  young,  or 
at  least  one  of  them,  for  being  seized  by  the  ears  by  the  doughty 
Manuelo,  a  violent  struggle  ensued,  but  he  did  not  loosen  his 
hold,  though  he  would  gladly  have  done  so  on  account  of  the 
scratching  the  cub  persistently  gave  him. 

This  unlooked-for  achievement  of  Manuelo  added  much  to 
his  fame  in  the  city,  and  more,  as  Justino  assures  us,  than  was 
gained  by  another  of  a  similar  nature  that  followed  soon  after, 
and  to  which  he  was  emboldened  by  his  former  success.  In 
fact,  it  is  shrewdly  suspected,  though  not  so  recorded,  that  he 
was  deluded,  by  the  capture  of  one  little  cub,  into  the  belief 
that  he  was  an  experienced  bear-fighter,  for  he  hesitated  not  to 
join  the  very  next  hunting  expedition  organized  under  Bear- 
Slayer. 

An  opportunity  to  display  his  prowess  a  second  time  was 
not  long  in  coming.  That  same  autumn,  as  fortune  would 
have  it,  a  whole  troop  of  bears  of  large  size,  some  thirty  or 
more  in  number,  came  down  on  the  plain,  one  dull,  cloudy  day, 
to  forage.  When  their  approach  was  discovered  the  people 
became  much  excited,  and  the  men  with  one  accord,  seizing 
their  weapons,  prepared  to  resist  the  invasion.  The  force  that 
went  out  against  this  bristling  foe  was  at  least  four  hundred 
strong,  well  armed  for  assault,  or  defense,  each  having  his 
javelin  or  hatchet  of  stone,  and  some  with  their  bows  and 
arrows  were  armed.  But  Manuelo  with  his  cutlas  alone  was 
equipped,  for  his  pistols,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  regarded 
by  the  natives  as  ornaments  only,  an  opinion  he  could  not 
afford  to  dispel,  as  his  powder  was  scarce;  so  he  left  those 
weapons  behind.  With  himself,  he  is  supposed  to  have  argued 


350  YEARS  AGO.  89 

that  if  he  could  capture  one  bear,  without  arms,  and  with  his 
naked  hands  alone,  he  would  surely  be  safe  with  his  keen 
saber,  in  any  contest  with  another. 

The  strength  of  the  attacking  party  was  in  a  measure  con 
cealed  by  the  clouds  and  mists  of  the  morning,  and  the  bears, 
relying  upon  their  numbers,  were  not  easily  frightened.  Before 
fairly  scenting  the  danger,  they  were  completely  surrounded 
by  the  swift-running  Santos,  who,  fetching  a  large  circle,  ad 
vanced  towards  the  center  in  good  order.  The  brutes,  com 
prehending  the  situation,  and  seeing  the  circle  contracting 
about  them,  pricked  up  their  ears,  looked  wildly  around,  and 
foamed  with  anger.  But  the  men  still  advancing,  the  fight  was 
begun,  and  some  of  the  monsters  were  wounded.  The  bears 
huddled  together  for  better  resistance,  while  the  men  kept  off 
at  a  respectable  distance,  well  aware  of  the  ferocity  of  the 
grizzly  bear,  like  other  wild  beasts  when  held  at  bay.  At 
length  a  large  masculine  bruin,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  with 
his  white  teeth  exposed  and  fire  in  his  eye,  made  a  break  for 
that  part  of  the  line  where  the  only  white  man  happened  to 
be.  The  supple  natives  fell  back,  but  did  not  retreat,  while 
the  brave  Manuelo  stood  firm,  and  with  weapon  in  hand 
awaited  the  attack  of  the  beast,  which,  quickly  as  thought,  arose 
upon  end,  and  with  his  huge  paw  fetched  our  hero  a  stroke  on 
the  ribs,  which  sent  him  rolling  away  twenty  varas  or  more, 
upon  the  smooth,  grassy  plain.  Manuelo,  of  course,  was  badly 
disabled,  but  the  bear  was  prevented  from  following  up  his  vic 
tory  by  the  quick  advance  of  the  Santos,  who  plied  him  so 
vigorously  with  spears  and  stone  hatchets  as  to  cause  him  to 
withdraw. 

The  blow  that  was  dealt  with  his  sword,  at  the  time  Manuelo 
was  attacked,  brought  the  blood  in  torrents  from  the  head  of 
the  daring  old  grizzly.  This  would  have  afforded  some  conso 
lation  to  the  one  who  caused  it  had  he  just  then  been  in  a 
condition  to  enjoy  anything,  but,  alas!  he  was  not.  The  as- 


90  CALIFORNIA 

sault  upon  Manuelo  was  the  signal  for  attack  along  the  whole 
line,  and  the  fight  from  that  moment  became  general.  It  was 
waged  for  some  time,  with  changing  results,  when,  at  last,  as 
they  say  in  speaking  of  wars,  victory  perched  upon  the  ban 
ners  of  the  swift  Santos.  The  rout  of  the  bears  was  complete. 
Leaving  six  of  their  number,  including  their  leader,  the  one 
that  began  the  affray,  dead  and  stark  on  the  plain,  they  began 
a  hasty  retreat.  The  pursuit  was  as  quickly  begun  with  terri 
ble  yells,  and  the  bears  were  kept  running  till  far  in  the  hills. 

On  the  part  of  the  natives  not  a  man  was  slain,  and  Man 
uelo  alone  was  seriously  wounded.  The  conduct  of  the  chief, 
on  this  occasion,  was  observed  to  be  most  gallant,  and  worthy 
of  all  praise.  He  was  near  at  hand  when  the  Spaniard  fell,  and 
was  the  first  to  come  to  his  rescue.  But  for  him  Manuelo 
maintained  he  must  have  been  killed  on  the  spot,  for  the  bear, 
as  he  thought,  had  observed  that  his  coat  was  made  of  the  skins 
of  his  kind,  and  his  rage  was  increased  by  that  fact.  As  it  was, 
Manuelo  was  severely  contused,  if  indeed  his  ribs  were  not 
broken,  and  many  a  long  day  passed  slowly  away  before  he  was 
fully  recovered. 

It  is  an  ill  wind,  says  the  old  proverb,  that  blows  nobody 
good.  This  was  paraphrased  by  Justino,  so  far  as  to  say  it  is 
an  ill  blow  that  brings  not  good  to  somebody,  and  so  Manuelo 
thought  in  this  case,  for  it  was  his  good  fortune,  during  his  ill 
ness,  to  have  the  attendance  and  care  of  the  kind-hearted  Alola. 
This  fair  young  creature,  in  the  most  touching  manner, 
bestowed  her  sympathy  upon  the  wounded  sailor,  and  was 
unremitting  in  her  exertions  to  soothe  his  sufferings.  Strange 
to  say,  her  ministrations  were  more  than  gratified,  for  was  not 
his  recovery  even  too  rapid,  since  the  pleasure  she  enjoyed  in 
attending  upon  him  must  needs  come  to  an  end  when  he  was 
once  more  restored  to  health  ? 


350  YEARS  AGO  91 

XXXIX. 

TRIALS. 

CAPITALS  of  all  countries  are  especially  attractive  to  peo 
ple  of  an  ambitious  and  overreaching  turn  of  mind,  and  persons 
distinguished  for  those  qualities  are  found  there,  in  greater 
numbers  than  elsewhere.  To  these  characteristics  are  usually 
superadded  an  abundance  of  sycophancy,  and  more  than  a  suf 
ficiency  of  assumed  dignity. 

Commonly  known  as  courtiers,  these  people  swarm  about 
the  gates  of  royalty,  contributing,  by  their  presence,  to  that 
motley  mass  of  mankind  more  frequently  designated  as  "the 
world  at  large." 

The  capital  of  the  Santos  was  no  exception  to  this  rule.  It 
was  visited  from  time  to  time  by  persons  coming  on  missions 
of  pleasure  or  curiosity,  and  some  upon  errands  of  business. 
Among  these  visitors  now  and  then  appeared  representatives 
of  the  Yonos,  the  faces  of  whom  were  familiar  to  Manuelo,  as 
was  doubtless  his  to  them,  but  his  new  character  of  prince, 
upon  the  preservation  of  which  depended  his  standing  at  court, 
forbade  his  recognition  of  these  old  acquaintances  except  in 
the  most  formal  manner. 

It  stood  him  in  hand  to  look  well  to  the  dignity  of  his  posi 
tion,  and  he  neglected  none  of  the  means  requisite  to  maintain 
it;  nevertheless,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  wholly  ignore  the 
many  courtesies  received  at  their  hands  in  the  time  of  his 
sorest  need.  His  real  feelings  towards  these  visitors,  therefore, 
were  but  poorly  portrayed  in  his  manner  towards  them. 

More  cordiality  would  doubtless  have  been  shown  them,  but 
for  a  lingering,  and  perhaps  too  well-grounded  apprehension, 
that  a  return  to  his  former  intimacy  might  lead  to  a  demand  of 
marriage  on  behalf  of  the  timid  Nona,  which  would  now  have 
been  more  embarrassing  than  ever  on  account  of  his  relations 
with  Alola.  If  he  had  ever  entertained  any  feelings  towards 


92  CALIFORNIA 

the  Yono  maiden  beyond  those  of  pure  friendship,  they  were 
now  entirely  supplanted  by  his  warmer  and  more  tender  attach 
ment  for  the  chief's  daughter,  for  such  the  fair  and  confiding 
Alola  really  was.  Upon  her  his  heart  had  become  firmly  fixed, 
and  she  in  turn  as  freely  bestowed  all  the  wealth  of  her  affec 
tions  upon  him. 

A  double  purpose,  therefore,  it  would  seem,  had  Manuelo  in 
playing  the  part  of  a  prince.  First,  he  had  hoped  thereby  to 
avoid  those  complications  growing  out  of  his  first  matrimonial 
engagement;  and  in  the  next  place,  by  the  same  means,  to  pro 
mote  his  suit  with  his  new  and  more  charming  sweetheart. 
For  the  latter  purpose  he  needed,  above  all  things,  the  favor  of 
her  immediate  friends,  and  how  better  could  he  expect  to  ob 
tain  it  than  by  playing  the  part  of  a  prince  ? 

While  he  believed  that  he  was  loved  by  Alola  for  himself 
alone,  he  was  confident  that  the  attentions  of  a  person  of  stand 
ing  would  be  far  more  acceptable  to  her  relatives  than  of  one 
without  rank.  For  reasons  which  will  presently  appear  the 
two  lovers  endeavored,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  conceal  their 
mutual  regard  from  the  men  and  women  of  the  place,  but  they 
were  at  no  such  pains  to  hide  it  from  each  other.  As  is  usual 
in  cases  of  the  kind,  too  fond  of  each  other's  society,  they  con 
sorted  more  than  was  prudent,  considering  the  feeling  that 
existed  in  that  community  regarding  such  matters. 

It  is  true  that  all  this  time  they  were  members  of  the  same 
household,  and  her  attendance,  therefore,  upon  him  during  his 
infirmity  was  but  natural;  nevertheless,  envy  was  engendered  in 
certain  quarters,  on  their  account,  causing  them,  in  the  end,  no 
little  inconvenience. 

Manuelo  himself  was  endowed  by  nature  with  a  fair  share  of 
sensibility,  and  it  was  with  some  reluctance  that  he  permitted 
matters  to  drift  along  as  they  did,  even  to  the  point  of  public 
dissatisfaction,  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  alternative  for  it. 
The  difficulty  was  that  the  Santos  had  but  a  meager  apprecia- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  93 

tion  of  the  feelings  of  these  two  young  people.  Saving  and 
excepting  Alola  alone  they  were  far  from  possessing  a  senti 
mental  turn  of  mind;  on  the  contrary,  they  were,  in  reference 
to  affairs  of  the  heart,  as  in  other  matters,  eminently  practical. 
In  very  truth  it  was  this  characteristic  of  the  race  that  had 
almost  bound  Manuelo,  without  the  slightest  regard  to  his  own 
wishes,  to  the  shy  Nona;  and  the  same  was  now  likely  to  inter 
fere  seriously  with  his  honorable  attachment  for  the  fair  young 
daughter  of  the  chief. 

An  old  Spanish  proverb  likens  love  to  a  perturbed  river, 
which  never  runs  smoothly,  and  Manuelo  greatly  feared  lest 
the  stream  of  affection  that  flowed  so  gently  between  himself 
and  Alola,  should  be  obstructed  by  the  meddlesome  matter-of- 
fact  friends  of  the  latter. 

The  ex-king  and  high  priest,  the  venerable  Pokee,  had  a  son 
named  Gosee,  a  most  comely  and  valiant  young  man,  to  whom 
this  fair  maid  had  already  been  promised  in  marriage,  and  an 
engagement  when  made,  as  this  was,  by  the  highest  authority  in 
the  land,  was  almost  as  good,  or,  as  Manuelo  remarked  in  refer 
ence  to  this  case,  almost  as  bad  as  a  marriage. 

This  established  custom  of  the  country  as  now  applied  being 
directly  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  and  purposes  of  Manuelo 
and  Alola  caused  them  many  unhappy  reflections. 

Manuelo  was  aware,  but  kept  it  to  himself,  that  from  time 
immemorial  it  had  been  the  practice  in  Spain  and  in  other 
Christian  and  civilized  countries,  to  effect  matrimonial  alliances 
for  members  of  royal  families  without  regard  to  the  tastes  of 
the  parties  to  be  joined,  and  often  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
inclination  of  those  who,  as  he  thought,  might  well  be  regarded 
as  most  deeply  interested  in  the  event.  Under  wise  State 
policy  in  many  countries,  so  slight  a  consideration  as  personal 
affection  had  ever  been  made  to  yield  to  the  welfare  of  the 
whole  nation.  The  good  of  the  people  at  large  has  even  re 
quired  in  conspicuous  instances  the  consummation  of  matri- 


94  CALIFORNIA 

monial  relations  under  the  most  repulsive  circumstances.  A 
practice  which  could  lead  to  such  results  Manuelo  concluded 
might  possibly  have  been  sanctioned  by  time,  but  he  was  sure 
it  could  have  been  hallowed  in  no  other  way.  But  he  was  not 
in  a  condition  of  mind  just  then  to  take  an  impartial  view  of 
such  matters,  even  though  he  had  been  a  veritable  prince  of 
the  blood,  for  the  custom  was,  as  he  expressed  it,  directly 
athwart  his  purposes.  Not  being  in  reality  of  true  royal  de 
scent,  he  was  by  no  means,  as  Justino  contended,  a  competent 
critic  of  the  practices  of  the  genuine  and  pure-blooded  heredi 
tary  princes  of  the  earth. 

Confined  to  royalty  alone  as  was  this  custom  in  other  king 
doms, — this  custom  of  arranging  connubial  relations  without 
reference  to  the  wishes  of  the  parties, — it  had  no  such  limited 
application  in  the  New  World.  Here  it  was  common  to  all 
classes  alike,  and  it  is  believed  affords  some  proof  that  even  in 
those  early  times,  as  subsequently,  the  good  people  of  this 
country  possessed  by  nature  certain  of  the  more  prominent 
characteristics  of  sovereignty. 

If,  then,  neither  the  people,  nor  the  king,  nor  a  prince  of 
the  realm,  nor  yet  the  high  priest,  could  select  his  own  wife, 
much  less  could  Manuelo,  who,  while  a  prince,  was  yet  a  mere 
stranger  in  that  country,  be  expected  to  enjoy  that  high  priv 
ilege. 

This  reflection  might  have  brought  some  consolation  to  the 
mind  of  the  man,  and,  possibly,  also  to  the  object  of  his 
adoration,  had  his  love  been,  or  if  love  ever  was,  under  the 
control  of  reason.  But,  unfortunately  for  their  peace  of  mind, 
it  is  not.  The  more  love  is  confronted  with  argument,  no 
matter  how  logical  or  convincing,  the  more  perverse  it  becomes. 
The  tide  may  be  resisted  for  a  time,  but  it  will  rise  higher 
and  higher,  like  an  obstructed  stream,  and  eventually  break 
over  all  opposition. 

It  was  Justino's  opinion  that  had  Manuelo's  success  in  this 


350  YEARS  AGO.  95 

love  affair  depended  upon  it,  he  would  unhesitatingly  have 
renounced  even  his  title  to  royalty. 

After  what  has  been  said  it  need  hardly  be  added  that  many 
obstacles  were  thrown  in  the  way  of  the  lovers,  but  Manuelo, 
in  nowise  discouraged,  set  himself  to  the  task  of  overcoming 
them  in  a  true,  manly  way.  He  had  the  cordial  co-operation 
of  some  of  the  best  matrons  in  his  endeavors  to  obtain  the 
consent  of  the  chief  and  the  high  priest  to  a  recision,  so 
far  as  his  case  was  concerned,  of  this  arbitrary  custom. 
Though  in  the  hands  of  the  best  of  advocates,  these  efforts 
were  unavailing.  The  old  ecclesiastic  set  his  face  like  a  flint 
against  it,  as  did  also  his  son,  the  youthful  Gosee,  and  of  course 
their  objections  were  potential.  The  unimpassioned  high  priest 
took  such  a  view  of  the  matter  as  might  have  been  expected 
from  one  of  his  advanced  age  and  forgetfulness.  The  maiden, 
he  thought,  by  Manuelo's  dress  might  have  been  captivated,  or 
else  because  of  his  being  a  mere  stranger  she  was  unduly  influ 
enced  by  him.  It  was  against  these  considerations  that  the 
artillery  of  his  eloquence  was  directed.  Little  attention,  how 
ever,  was  paid  by  the  lovers  to  the  vaticination  of  this  crusty 
old  functionary.  The  suggestion  of  such  childish  motives,  in 
an  affair  of  so  much  gravity,  tended  rather  to  excite  ridicule 
than  to  produce  conviction.  All  others  plainly  saw  at  the  bot 
tom  of  their  attachment  a  vastly  more  powerful  incentive  than 
the  one  proclaimed  by  the  senile  Pokee. 

Finding  it  impossible,  by  argument,  or  honest  persuasion,  to 
overcome  the  opposition  to  their  desires,  both  Manuelo  and 
the  young  woman  were  on  the  brink  of  despair,  and  were  ready 
for  almost  any  emergency  that  promised  well  to  their  hopes. 
Manuelo,  himself,  was  so  incensed  by  the  fruitless  result  of  his 
importunities  that  he  could  have  taken  vengeance  on  his  rival, 
and  seriously  contemplated  that  course ;  but  fortunately  for  all 
parties,  he  was  dissuaded  therefrom  by  the  cooler  judgment  of 
his  fair  inamorata,  who,  with  womanly  tact,  devised  a  way  out 


96  CALIFORNIA 

of  the  dilemma  by  proposing  an  elopement,  not,  however,  to 
be  carried  out  immediately,  but  only  as  the  pressure  of  circum 
stances  might  require. 

XL. 

A   CHANGE. 

WINTER  passing  rapidly  away,  the  lovers  feared  lest  the 
next  Fiesta  of  Flowers,  which  would  come  in  the  spring,  might 
be  concluded  upon  by  the  priest  and  the  chief  as  the  time  for 
solemnizing  the  proposed  alliance  between  the  son  of  the  one 
and  the  daughter  of  the  other,  and  the  contemplation  of  this 
danger  was  a  constant  alloy  to  their  happiness.  It  is  true  that 
Gosee  and  Alola  were  both  yet  quite  young,  and  the  time  for 
their  marriage,  according  to  the  considerate  custom  of  this 
country,  would  not  have  arrived,  in  due  course,  for  a  couple  of 
years;  but  it  was  apprehended  that  the  growing  attachment  of 
the  intended  bride  for  the  mysterious  stranger  would  induce 
precipitation  in  this  particular  case.  Her  infatuation  for  Man- 
uelo  was  becoming  too  conspicuous  for  concealment.  The 
fire  of  her  love  would  burst  forth,  at  times,  with  such  ardor  as 
to  baffle  all  attempts  at  suppression.  In  this  matter  she  exhib 
ited  less  prudence  than  belonged  to  her  nature ;  in  truth,  she 
was  more  of  a  girl  than  a  woman,  while  Manuelo,  in  the  case, 
was  more  of  a  man  than  could  reasonably  have  been  expected. 
The  affair  grew  into  public  prominence,  to  the  no  slight  annoy 
ance  of  Alola.  It  seems  the  Santos  single  dames  were  no  less 
addicted  to  meddling  in  matters  of  this  sort  than  is  a  similar 
class  in  any  other  nation.  Their  gossip  very  naturally  annoyed 
Manuelo,  as  well  as  Alola,  since  it  tended  to  frustrate  his  plans. 
For  this  reason  alone  he  regretted  the  notoriety  of  the  affair, 
for  would  he  not  have  esteemed  the  partiality  of  the  princess 
for  himself  a  very  great  compliment  but  for  the  danger  it 
involved? 

It  is  not  stated  in  so  many  words  in  the  manuscript,  but  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  97 

inference  is  plain  that  had  Manuelo  never  appeared  at  the  cap 
ital  the  union  publicly  planned  for  this  fair  maiden  and  the 
high-born  Gosee,  would  have  been  considered,  eve'n  by  herself, 
as  all  others  regarded  it,  highly  advantageous.  But  the  genius 
and  wisdom  displayed  by  Manuelo  as  a  leader  of  fashion, 
and  in  other  directions,  rendered  his  suit  irresistible,  and  ere 
the  girl  was  aware  of  the  peril  her  heart  was  gone.  There  is 
a  power  about  love  that  has  never  been  fully  accounted  for, 
even  by  the  wisest  of  philosophers,  and  that  power,  whatever 
it  is,  seized  upon  the  innocent  Alola  with  irresistible  force. 

It  is  often  asserted,  and  truly,  that  love  is  blind,  and  it  was 
quite  impossible  for  the  chief's  young  daughter  to  discover  any 
defects,  if  such  there  were,  either  in  the  person  or  character  of 
the  winsome  Manuelo.  To  her,  at  least,  he  was  perfection, 
and  every  attempt  to  turn  aside  the  strong  current  of  her  par 
tiality  for  him  by  pointing  out  his  faults,  whether  imaginary  or 
real,  only  made  it  the  stronger.  But  for  this  mysterious,  this 
unaccountable,  this  irresistible  influence,  which  at  times  seizes 
upon  and  possesses  man  and  woman  alike,  Manuelo  might 
well  have  been  censured  for  what  Justino  regarded  as  a  gross 
violation  of  the  laws  of  hospitality  in  accepting  and  recipro 
cating  the  love  of  the  chiefs  daughter  against  the  protest  of 
her  parents,  while  a  guest  in  their  house. 

But  in  a  case  of  this  kind  much  must  be  set  down  to  uncon 
trollable  fate,  and  the  two  lovers  are  entitled  to  a  charitable 
judgment  upon  their  conduct,  notwithstanding  the  opinion  to 
the  contrary  of  Father  Justino,  who,  it  must  be  remembered, 
was  only  a  Dominican  friar,  and,  therefore,  by  no  means  a 
competent  judge  inx  matters  of  secular  love. 

The  devotion  of  Pericles  to  the  noble  Aspasia,  a  similar 
case,  was  not  more  sincere  than  was  that  of  Manuelo  for  the 
royal  object  of  his  affections.  The  more  he  saw  of  her  charms 
the  more  irresistibly  was  he  drawn  towards  her;  and  sho,  in 
like  manner,  overcome  by  the  contemplation  of  his  many  virt- 

7 


08  CALIFORNIA 

lies,  reached,  at  last,  that  point  where  life  itself  was  counted 
as  naught  in  comparison  to  his  love,  and  where  she  would  will 
ingly  have  sacrificed  all  other  friendships  for  his. 

XLI. 

AVOIDING  DANGER. 

WHETHER  well  or  ill  grounded,  the  apprehensions  of 
Manuelo  and  his  sweetheart  touching  the  speedy  marriage  of 
the  latter  with  the  priest's  son  made  no  difference,  since  those 
apprehensions  were  sufficient  to  render  them  both  thoroughly 
unhappy  when  left  to  themselves  and  uncheered  by  each  oth 
er's  society.  This  danger  haunted  them  constantly,  and  would 
not  be  dismissed  until  Manuelo,  prompted  by  his  usual,  or 
rather  unusual,  foresight,  bethought  himself  of  the  necessity  of 
allaying  suspicions  regarding  his  purpose,  which  was,  as  he 
confessed,  to  possess  himself,  at  all  hazards,  of  the  pride  of 
his  heart.  In  this  firm  determination  he  was  met  fully  half 
way  by  the  courageous  young  creature  who  was  to  share  with 
him  the  risk  of  the  venture,  and  likewise  the  spoils,  so  to  speak, 
if  it  succeeded. 

Though  careless  at  first,  as  young  ladies  too  often  are  in 
affairs  of  the  heart,  Alola  had,  by  this  time,  become  fully 
aroused  to  the  exigencies  of  the  situation,  and  Manuelo  came 
to  rely  largely  upon  her  discretion  in  the  management  of  this 
delicate  business.  It  is  said  to  be  always  the  safest  in  affairs 
of  this  kind  to  submit  to  the  guidance  of  the  gentler  sex,  since 
they,  in  such  matters,  are  controlled  as  much  by  instinct  as 
reason,  while  man,  relying  on  his  intellectual  faculties  alone,  is 
undoubtedly  often  quite  stupid. 

Manuelo  and  Alola,  accordingly,  putting  their  heads  together, 
concluded  upon  a  line  of  policy  the  success  or  failure  of 
which  will  be  discovered  further  on  in  this  history.  It  was 
agreed  between  them  that  Manuelo  should  leave  the  king's 


350  YEARS  AGO.  99 

dwelling  and  take  up  his  lodgings  in  another  part  of  the  city, 
and  that  he  and  Alola  thereafter  should  be  seen  as  little  as 
possible  together.  It  was  thought  best  there  should  be  in  their 
outward  demeanor  some  evidence  of  a  growing  alienation 
between  them,  or,  at  all  events,  that  it  should  be  made  to  appear 
to  the  public  that  they  were  not  wholly  dependent  upon  each 
other  for  the  air  they  were  breathing,  as  was  sarcastically 
hinted  in  the  current  gossip  of  the  day. 

With  Manuelo  there  was  another  motive  for  pursuing  this 
course,  which  he  did  not  disclose,  at  the  time,  to  his  faithful 
companion,  but  it  doubtless  aided  in  giving  direction  to  his 
conduct.  When  a  youngster  at  school,  in  old  Spain,  his  Master 
had  taught  him  this  lesson,  that  "  too  much  familiarity  induces 
contempt,"  and  these  words  had  been  written  so  often  by  him 
that  their  meaning  was  never  forgotten.  Mindful  of  their  wis 
dom,  he  dreaded  the  more  to  remain  in  the  home  of  his  true- 
love,  lest  she  should  conceive  in  some  way  a  dislike  for  his  per 
son.  It  had  also  been  inculcated  by  the  same  schoolmaster 
that  "  to  one's  body-servant  no  man  is  great,"  the  meaning  of 
which,  as  explained  at  the  time,  was  that  all  defects,  whether 
of  the  person,  mind,  or  morals,  of  a  notable  character,  must 
needs  become  known  to  one  in  such  close  relations  with  him, 
and  Manuelo  feared  not  a  little  lest  Alola  at  length  might  dis 
cover  that  he  was  not,  in  reality,  either  prophet  or  prince,  but 
only  a  tolerable  tailor.  He  had  no  apprehension  that  the  dis 
covery  would  be  made  that  he  was  a  mere  sailor,  for  his 
achievements  in  that  line  during  his  stay  with  the  Santos, 
among  which  were  his  shipwreck  and  his  sea-fight,  had  not 
been  of  a  character  to  inspire  confidence  in  his  ability  as  a 
seafaring  man. 

By  removing  from  the  king's  own  dwelling,  therefore,  he 
would  not  only  relieve  the  mind  of  the  maid,  but  at  the  same 
time  free  himself  from  much  apprehended  embarrassment. 
The  natural  inclination  of  the  gentle  Alola  was,  of  course,  to 


100  CALIFORNIA 

,  have  her  lover  always  near,  and  the  poor  creature  consented 
with  the  greatest  reluctance  to  his  going  away.  But  discretion, 
she  realized  in  her  cooler  moments,  was  the  better  part  to  be 
chosen,  and  especially  since  it  was  pregnant  with  promises  of 
future  happiness,  while  a  little  want  of  discretion  might  dash 
all  their  hopes.  To  use  his  own  apt  figure  of  speech,  suggested 
by  his  early  experience,  they  were  by  this  move  taking  in  sup 
plies  and  mending  their  sails  for  a  long  voyage,  and  a  slight 
miscalculation  was  liable  to  wreck  their  prospects. 

This  being  the  situation,  the  two  submitted  cheerfully,  though 
she  reluctantly,  as  was  said,  to  what  Manuelo  was  constrained 
to  believe  to  be  the  will  of  Providence,  but  which  the  innocent 
.  Alola  regarded  as  altogether  too  cruel  for  that.  She  had  been 
instructed  by  her  lover  to  look  up  to  the  Almighty,  as  the  em 
bodiment  of  goodness  alone,  and  she  could  not  see  how  it  was 
possible  for  a  being  whose  every  impulse  was  fraught  with  be 
nevolence,  to  impose  upon  her  the  cruel  necessity  of  a  separa 
tion  from  her  lover,.  Hence  she  questioned  the  conclusion  of 
her  Christian  companion,  that  Providence  had  anything  what 
ever  to  do  with  the  movement;  and  the  utmost  endeavors  of 
the  good  Manuelo  to  impress  upon  her  crude  intellect  the 
idea  that  divine  Wisdom  was  at  all  responsible  in  the  case, 
were  unavailing. 

A  person  of  Manuelo's  popularity  could  easily  find  other 
quarters,  and  straightway  he  removed  to  a  house  of  his  own, 
partly  built  by  himself,  in  another  portion  of  the  city.  The 
ruse  was  complete,  suspicion  was  allayed,  and  slander  ceased 
wagging  her  tongue,  and  when  afterwards  the  two  met,  it  was 
in  a  manner  becoming  their  high  positions. 

The  spring  wore  away,  and  the  flower  festival  came  in  due 
time,  but  no  marriage  between  Gosee  and  the  rosy-cheeked 
damsel  was  suggested  for  that  occasion,  the  two  being  consid 
ered  as  yet  quite  too  young  for  that  event.  This  being  deter 
mined  upon,  Manuelo  was  greatly  relieved,  but  not  more  so 
than  was  his  gentle  sweetheart. 


350  YEARS  AGO  10 1 

XLII. 

ANOTHER  TACK. 

THE  gentle  reader  has  already  been  informed  that  the 
course  of  true  love  seldom  runs  smoothly;  when  least  expected 
the  stream  is  liable,  as  is  the  case  of  rivers  in  that  country,  to 
sink  out  of  sight,  beneath  the  surface,  only  to  appear  again 
further  down  the  channel  of  time;  and  such  proved  to  be  the 
experience  of  Manuelo  and  his  intended. 

At  the  Feast  of  Flowers,  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  an  in 
cident  occurred  which  came  near  putting  a  permanent  period 
to  their  engagement,  for  it  nearly  cost  Manuelo  his  life.  A 
wrestling  match  in  the  camp  was  progressing,  and  all  the  young 
men  of  the  nation  were  trying  their  strength,  while  the  maidens 
were  watching  the  game.  Manuelo's  success  in  the  contest  of 
love  wrought  in  him  the  foolish  idea  that  in  other  contests  he 
might  be  equally  strong.  Impelled  by  this  notion  and  not  less 
by  the  smiles  of  Alola,  who  was  sitting  among  the  spectators 
with  her  brilliant  dark  eyes  on  her  lover,  he  thoughtlessly 
challenged  the  son  of  the  priest,  his  unhappy  rival,  to  a  trial  of 
strength  on  the  green.  Manuelo  well  knew  that  in  the  matter 
of  swiftness  he  was  not  a  match  for  the  stalwart  Goset;  but  he 
thought  that  in  strength,  of  which  he  could  boast,  he  might  be 
his  equal  at  least;  for  on  the  ship's  deck,  in  his  earlier  days,  he 
enjoyed  a  high  reputation  for  strength.  But  Manuelo  reckoned 
too  much  on  the  past,  and  in  this  was  his  judgment  a  failure, 
as  was  likewise  his  strength,  for  the  son  of  the  priest  at  the  very 
first  bout  threw  him  heels  over  head,  and  he  fell  on  the  ground 
with  terrible  force.  So  severe  was  the  fall  that  he  lay  on  the 
plain  for  some  time,  nor  could  he  arise,  and  so  great  was  his 
pain  that  he  could  not  refrain  from  moaning  aloud ;  and  his 
cries  pierced  the  heart  of  Alola,  who  rushed  to  his  aid  and 
bathed  his  head  with  her  tears.  No  bones  being  broken,  he 
soon  recovered  from  his  fearful  mishap,  the  wiser  for  it. 


102  .    .  CALIFORNIA 

Explaining  his  unexpected  discomfiture  to  his  sympathetic 
mistress,*  he  attributed  his  fall  to  an  unlucky  slip  of  the  foot 
on  the  smooth,  grassy  plain,  which  he  assured  her  would  never 
occur  again,  as  it  never  did.  But  he  was  wont  to  say  to  others 
that  a  fall  from  the  yard-arm  to  the  deck  of  a  ship  would  have 
been  no  more  dreadful  than  this  fall  from  the  arm  of  Gosee. 

The  lesson  thus  received  was  of  value  to  Manuelo,  and 
probably  saved  him  from  other  disasters.  He  learned  to  rely 
not  on  his  physical  strength,  but  to  trust  solely  to  his  genius, 
which  had  never  failed  him.  He  said  to  himself,  "  Let  the 
shoemaker  stick  to  his  last,  to  the  last,  and  to  his  awl,  after  all," 
and  he  applied  these  words  to  his  own  case  in  a  manner  that 
need  not  be  stated. 

XLIII. 
WAR    P.REWING. 

FROM  an  intimation  or  two  already  dropped,  touching  the 
relations  that  existed  between  the  Santos  and  the  Modens,  one 
ought  not  to  be  surprised  to  learn  that  war  broke  out  that 
summer  between  these  two  powerful  nations,  and  the  account  of 
it  as  given  by  Manuelo  himself  may  not  be  uninteresting  to 
the  general  reader  of  history.  If  to  no  other  people,  it  will,  in 
all  probability,  be  entertaining  to  those  who  now  occupy  the 
territory  which  was  the  theater  of  the  conflict,  and  future  gen 
erations  likewise,  upon  the  same  ground,  may  possibly  peruse 
his  dramatic  account  of  it  with  profit,  if  not  with  pleasure.  It 
is  for  these  reasons  that  the  translator  gives  it  with  a  great  deal 
of  particularity,  and  to  him,  therefore,  on  that  account,  may  be 
due  some  little  share  of  the  credit  which  belongs,  it  is  readily 
conceded,  in  much  larger  part  to  Father  Justino,  of  rescuing 
from  oblivi@n  a  considerable  chapter  of  history  which  can  no 
where  else  be  found,  and  which,  but  for  the  kindness  of  that 
great  and  good  man,  must  have  been  irretrievably  lost.  But 
the  impatience  of  the  reader  admonishes  us  to  proceed  with 
the  narrative  without  further  delay. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  103 

In  point  of  military  preparations  and  strength  of  numbers 
the  belligerents  on  either  side  were  nearly  equal,  in  this  respect 
bearing  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  Romans  and  Cartha 
ginians;  but  here  the  parallel  ends,  for  though  there  were 
leaders  not  unlike  Scipio  and  Hannibal  among  these  early 
Pacific  Coasters,  the  nations  themselves  differed  from  those 
more  ancient  ones  in  the  general  run  of  their  operations.  The 
capital  of  neither  of  these  was  ever  destroyed  by  the  other,  nor 
indeed  is  it  known  that  either  was  ever  fairly  beleaguered.  In 
vasions,  it  is  true,  occurred  of  each  nation  in  turn,  and  the  war, 
so  to  speak,  was  on  occasions  carried  into  Africa;  nevertheless, 
for  aught  that  appears  in  the  manuscript,  the  cities  of  both 
would  have  stood  to  this  day  but  for  the  long  subsequent  incur 
sion  by  an  entirely  different  race.  It  only  pertains  to  this 
history,  however,  to  say  that  neither  was  destroyed  by  the  other, 
and  if  either  or  both  afterwards  succumbed  to  inevitable  fate, 
and  were  driven  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  some  other  histo 
rian  must  beheld  acountable  for  that  information.  It  may  have 
been  in  accordance  with  the  decrees  of  Providence  that  the  first 
races  of  people  on  the  Pacific  Coast  of  North  America  should 
be  subdued  by  Mexican  invaders,  and  that  they  in  turn  should 
be  overrun  by  the  inevitable  American  nation,  but  that  con 
cerns  us  not,  nor  does  it  belong  to  a  story  which,  it  must  be 
remembered,  relates  to  an  earlier  time  and  to  entirely  different 
events.  Matters  of  modern  date  cannot  be  permitted  to  lum 
ber  up  a  history  so  old  and  authentic  as  this,  and  one  which 
has  come  down  to  us  in  such  a  mysterious  manner. 

XLIV. 
A  PREDICTION. 

MAN  possesses  but  little  ability  to  look  into  the  future,  and 
it  is  presumed,  therefore,  that  Manuelo  may  have  died  in  igno 
rance  of  the  happenings  which  were  to  transpire  in  after  ages 
on  the  very  soil  he  was  then  familiar  with,  unless  peradventure 


104  CALIFORNIA 

such  information  may  have  been  obtained  from  the  prophets  of 
the  Santos,  of  which  there  is  some  intimation.  The  future 
magnificence  of  the  Roman  Empire  was  clearly  foretold  at  a 
period  when  there  was  no  more  reason  for  anticipating  its  great 
ness  than  existed  in  the  case  of  California. 

In  a  similar  manner,  says  Justino,  the  Indians  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  were  in  the  habit  of  listening  to  the  oracular  utterances  of 
their  prophets,  and  we  have  the  combined  authority  of  that 
good  man  and  of  Manuelo  for  the  assertion  that  those  seers 
did,  in  fact,  look  far  into  the  future,  and  by  the  aid  of  disem 
bodied  spirits  predict  whatever  of  good  or  evil  was  to  befall 
their  people.  In  proof  of  this  the  author  informs  us  that  .in 
a  spirit  of  prophecy,  a  priest  then  foretold  how  in  time  there  was 
coming  an  age  of  gold.  But  a  difference  he  said  one  surely 
must  draw  between  a  golden  age  and  the  age  that  he  saw;  for 
while  a  golden  age  might  with  happiness  flow,  an  age  of  gold 
would  bring  nothing  but  woe  and  distress  to  his  people.  He 
plamly  set  forth  that  men  would  pour  in  from  the  South  and 
the  North,  from  the  East  and  the  West,  by  land  and  by  sea,  all 
as  vile  and  as  wicked  as  men  could  well  be;  that  his  people 
would  then  to  the  mountains  be  driven,  or  so  many  at  least  as 
were  not  sent  to  Heaven.  But  this  prophecy  fell  on  ears  too 
obtuse  to  comprehend  what  it  meant,  or  foresee  its  use ;  as  did 
also  that  other  when  the  priest  seemed  to  see  that  in  time,  in 
his  country,  a  race  there  would  be  who  swifter  than  birds  would 
fly  over  the  land,  by  a  power  that  he  said  would  be  always  at 
hand,  and  so  convenient  withal  that  every  day  his  people, 
most  happy,  could  ride  without  pay.  But  his  ignorant  hearers, 
Manuelo  included,  by  the  language  then  used  were  completely 
deluded;  for  they  thought  that  the  priest,  by  so  strange  a  pre 
diction,  could  not  be  sincere,  but  was  dealing  in  fiction.  The 
more  credulous  of  them  suggested  such  things  as  men  made 
like  angels  and  furnished  with  wings.  But  none  could  foresee 
what  would  afterwards  be  the  condition  of  men  in  that  land  by 


350  YEARS  AGO.  105 

the  sea.  Other  things  quite  as  strange  were  foretold  by  that 
seer,  and  some  even  now  and  to  us  seem  as  queer  as  at  the 
time  to  his  men  they  appeared;  for  the  priest  was  much  moved 
when  he  said  that  he  feared  that  in  four  hundred  years  from 
that  day  a  race  from  the  ocean  would  enter  the  Bay,  having 
tails  from  their  heads,  a  numberless  throng,  bringing  only  a 
few  of  their  women  along,  and  would  scatter  about  on  every 
hand,  and  in  a  few  years  overrun  the  whole  land,  in  turn  driv 
ing  out  the  people  with  wings.  The  prophet  predicted  so 
many  such  things  that  the  faith  of  Manuelo  in  his  story  was 
shaken,  and  he  thought  that  the  priest  must  be  surely  mistaken. 
The  consequence  was  that  some  true  and  some  not  were 
wholly  ignored,  and  some  were  forgot.  But  the  worst  of  them 
all  to  believe  was  the  one  that  the  men  possessed  queues,  while 
the  women  had  none. 

The  young  priests  of  Evora  found  other  similar  prophecies 
in  the  old  manuscript,  but  deeming  them  impious  suppressed 
them.  It  is  true  they  were  of  profane  origin,  and  not  in  accord 
ance  with  the  ordinances  of  the  church,  but  it  is  equally  true 
that  many  books  relating  to  the  future,  now  extant,  were  writ 
ten  without  inspiration,  and  it  would  have  been  not  a  whit 
more  improper  for  the  young  Dominicans  to  have  given  a  fair 
account  of  these  predictions  than  it  was  for  Friar  Justino  to 
record  them.  This  much  is  said  to  the  end  that  the  blame 
for  their  omission  may  fall  where  it  belongs,  and  not  upon  one 
who  is  only  playing  the  part  of  an  humble  translator.  If  more 
had  been  given,  we  promise  you  it  would  have  been  furnished 
with  fidelity;  but  the  only  thing  left  for  us  now  is  to  share  with 
the  reader  in  the  general  disappointment. 

XLV. 

THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR. 

THE  immediate  occasion  of  the  renewal  of  hostilities  be 
tween  these  ancient  enemies,  the  Santos  and  the  Modens,  may 
never  be  known  with  certainty,  but  a  remote  cause  was  un- 


106  CALIFORNIA 

doubtedly  the  naval  engagement  of  the  year  previous,  in  whjch 
Manuelo  had  received  such  a  severe  drubbing.  His  bruises 
were  long  since  healed,  it  is  true,  but  not  so  his  feelings,  for 
he  ever  cherished  a  mortal  hatred  towards  the  people  by  whom 
he  had  been  so  severely  castigated.  Mentally  he  continued  to 
writhe  under  their  blow?,  long  after  all  traces  of  them  had 
disappeared  from  his  person;  and  cost  what  it  would,  he  de 
termined  to  have  satisfaction  sooner  or  later.  To  say  that  he 
intrigued  to  bring  about  a  collision,  might  be  too  harsh  an 
expression,  but  he  himself  could  hardly  object  to  the  accusa 
tion  of  resorting  to  strategy  in  order  to  precipitate  hostilities. 
The  high  priest  had  long  since  inferred  from  the  oracles  that 
some  event  of  the  kind  was  likely  to  occur.  A  message  had 
been  received  by  that  functionary  from  the  unknown  in  these 
words: — 

The  Pines  and  the  Oaks,  like  all  other  folks, 
Must  needs  crowd  and  encroach  on  each  other; 

But  in  the  great  strife,  which  must  be  one  for  life, 
The  Pines  will  the  Oaks  greatly  bother. 

This  being  somewhat  indefinite  and  enigmatical  withal  would 
have  led  to  no  trouble  but  for  another  message  received  by 
Manuelo,  as  priest,  from  a  similar  source,  not  long  afterwards, 
in  these  words,  as  nearly  as  they  can  be  translated: — 

When  the  Pines  and  the  Oaks  deal  each  other  strokes, 

All  the  plain  with  the  slain  will  be  strewn; 
But  the  most  that  are  slain,  and  stretched  on  the  plain, 

Not  as  Pines  but  as  Oaks  will  be  known. 

This  was  alleged  by  the  cunning  Manuelo  to  be  a  message 
from  the  very  highest  supernatural  authority,  and  was  con 
strued  by  him  to  be  in  the  nature  of  a  positive  injunction  from 
Heaven  to  the  stalwart  Santos  to  put  on  the  war  paint,  a 
custom  even  then  of  great  antiquity  in  that  country.  Their 
confidence  in  him  as  a  prophet  up  to  this  time  had  not  been 
impaired,  however  much  it  may  have  been  shaken  in  his 


350  YEARS  AGO.  107 

ability  in  other  directions,  and  they  immediately  set  about  the 
requisite  preparations  for  a  campaign. 

This  determination  arrived  at  in  a  general  council  of  the  head 
men  was  much  against  the  will  of  the  king,  for  obvious  reasons, 
and  he  sought  in  various  ways  to  prevent  the  result.  He  hesi 
tated  not  to  question  the  correctness  of  the  interpretation  as 
given  to  the  message  by  Manuelo,  nor  scrupled  he  to  express 
emphatic  distrust  of  the  authenticity  of  the  communica 
tion,  nor  yet  to  impugn  the  right  of  Manuelo  to  apply  for 
oracular  advice  upon  the  subject  of  war,  he  being  but  a  stranger 
in  the  land  and  not  interested  like  the  rest  of  them  in  such 
weighty  matters.  But  the  king  was  the  only  one  in  all  the 
assembly  who  had  the  assurance  to  interpose  such  objections, 
and  his  opposition  was  prompted,  as  all  believed,  by  his  dread 
of  being  compelled  to  take  the  lead  of  the  forces  to  be 
gathered.  All  the  other  priests,  including  the  chief  prophet, 
concurred  with  Manuelo  in  the  opinion  that  the  message  meant 
nothing  short  of  war,  and  preparations  were  begun  with  great 
alacrity  to  carry  it  on. 

XLVI. 
A  DILEMMA. 

SMARTING  still,  as  was  said,  under  the  flagellation  suffered 
not  many  months  before,  at  the  hands  of  the  revengeful  Mo- 
dens,  Manuelo  could  but  exhibit  an  unusual  amount  of  zeal  in 
pushing  forward  the  conflict,  and  as  a  consequence  he  was  left 
without  excuse  for  remaining  behind,  while  the  war  should  be 
waged  against  the  common  enemy.  His  conduct  very  natu 
rally  led  to  the  expectation  that  he  would  be  not  only  ready 
but  extremely  willing  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  campaign. 
Strange  to  say,  so  blinded  was  he  by  a  feeling  of  revenge  that 
this  untoward  result  had  never  occurred  to  his  mind,  though 
anyone  else  could  have  seen  that  it  was  the  legitimate  offspring 
of  his  dalliance  with  the  oracles. 


108  CALIFORNIA 

Finding  affairs  were  taking  this  turn,  he  was  considerably 
exercised,  not  to  say  distressed,  over  it,  but  not  more  so  than 
was  the  beautiful  Alola,  who  feared  most  lest  her  lover  should 
never  return  from  the  war.  In  her  vivid  imagination  she 
pictured  to  heibelf  the  bones  of  Manuelo  whitening  some  far- 
off  battle-field  on  the  border,  or  what  was  a]most  as  bad,  in  her 
distempered  fancy  she  saw  him  a  prisoner  of  war,  languishing 
in  servitude,  a  slave  it  might  be  to  some  rival  of  hers  among 
the  Modens,  and  she  endeavored  with  great  earnestness,  and 
in  various  ways,  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose.  And  most 
gladly  dissuaded  would  he  have  been,  but  no  such  happiness 
was  reserved  for  either  of  them,  and  as  a  consequence  her 
heart  was  nearly  broken. 

We  have  the  authority  of  Manuelo  for  asserting,  but  the 
fact  would  have  been  known  just  as  well  had  he  remained 
silent  upon  the  point,  that  Alola  shed  many  tears  over  what  she 
regarded  as  their  hard  fate.  But  under  the  circumstances,  her 
weeping,  like  her  protestations,  was  of  no  avail,  since  Manuelo 
had  drafted  himself,  so  to  speak,  into  the  service,  and,  with  the 
rest  of  the  men,  must  needs  be  in  readiness  for  the  expedition 
and  take  his  chances.  The  brevity  of  this  chapter,  it  will  be 
observed,  was  unavoidable.  Nothing  more  could  be  said- 
The  dilemma  itself  enforced  silence. 

XLVII. 

PREPARATIONS. 

IN  an  incredibly  short  time  every  preparation  for  the  war 
was  perfected.  A  large  army  of  brave  and  active  young  war 
riors  was  gathered  from  all  the  villages  of  the  nation,  each 
sending  its  quota.  The  whole  command  was  ready  to  be  put 
in  motion,  in  three  separate  divisions  of  near  a  thousand  men 
each.  The  faces  of  the  soldiers  were  tastefully  decorated  with 
pigments  of  one  kind  and  another,  which  were  applied  by  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  109 

women,  as  more  skillful  in  that  branch  of  the  arts,  thus  giving 
to  the  army  altogether  a  marvelously  picturesque  appearance. 
But  each  division  wore  the  paint  after  a  style  of  its  own,  differ 
ing  from  the  others,  so  that  each  could  be  readily  distinguished. 
This  was  thought  to  be  more  appropriate,  because  of  their 
different  armaments.  The  first  corps  for  their  arms  bore  the 
javelin  and  the  bow  and  quiver.  The  second,  the  bow  and 
arrow  and  hatchet  of  stone,  but  no  javelin;  while  the  third 
division  was  armed  with  no  bow,  but  with  hatchet  and  javelin; 
so  that  each  was  prepared  for  a  separate  duty,  it  might  be,  or, 
if  the  emergency  required  it,  for  a  general  fight. 

For  food  on  the  march  they  were  supplied  with  fresh  meat 
for  the  first  few  days,  and  with  venison  dried  for  the  rest  of 
the  trip,  and  with  nuts,  in  large  store,  in  their  leathern  pouches. 
Their  adornments,  aside  from  the  paint,  consisted  of  the 
brushes  of  foxes  and  coons,  and  likewise  of  the  tail  of  the  deer, 
each  division  having  only  one  kind ;  but  feathers  of  the  gayest 
colors  were  indiscriminately  worn  by  them  all,  and  each  man, 
high  up  on  the  side  of  his  head,  wore  the  white  wing  of  a  bird, 
the  national  emblem  of  the  swift  Santos.  The  bird's  wing,  as 
the  scholastic  Justino  remembered,  was  worn  in  the  most 
ancient  of  times  by  the  heathen  god  Mercury,  as  an  emblem 
of  speed;  but  by  him  it  was  placed  on  the  heel,  and  not  on  the 
head,  as  these  people  saw  fit  to  display  it. 

XLVIII. 

THE  MARCH  AND  BATTLE. 

FULLY  armed  and  equipped  and  prepared  for  the  fray, 
They  took  up  their  march  to  the  east  the  first  day, 
Passing  over  some  mountains  that  lay  off  that  way, 
From  which  they  looked  down  upon  the  broad  Bay, 
And  as  well  on  the  city  from  which  they  had  come, 
And  each  had  a  last  look  it  might  be  of  his  home, 
For  each  saw  the  danger  there  was  in  the  strife, 


110  CALIFORNIA 

And  that  it  might  end  in  the  loss  of  his  life, 

A  thing  quite  too  common  in  wars,  as  we  know, 

But  men  must  expect  it  who  will  to  wars  go. 

A  soldier  must  needs  take  his  life  in  his  hands, 

When  to  kill  and  destroy  he  invades  others'  lands, 

And  if  he  should  never  his  own  again  see, 

A  proper  result  of  the  war  it  would  be. 

This  remark  of  Juslino  is  thrown  in  this  story 

To  benefit  those  who  are  seeking  for  glory, 

But  who  are  more  likely  to  find,  as  he  said, 

Themselves  either  wounded,  or  crippled,  or  dead. 

But  eager  for  fighting  and  cheerful  of  heart, 

They  strove  with  each  other  to  lead  at  the  start. 

And  this  strife  they  kept  up  the  day  nearly  through, 

And  as  long  as  the  leading  men  thought  it  would  do. 

In  a  beautiful  grove  of  evergreen  trees 

They  camped  the  first  night,  and  there  took  their  ease. 

When  supper  was  ended,  to  their  beds  they  retired, 

For,  most  of  all  things,  it  was  rest  they  required. 

They  posted  no  guard,  for  they  feared  no  alarms, 

Yet  each,  for  security,  slept  on  his  arms. 

The  day  had  been  warm,  and  the  march  had  been  long, 

And  it  tested  their  metal,  though  each  man  was  strong 

They  were  used  to  fatigues,  and  all  had  before 

Been  on  marches  as  tiresome  as  this  one,  or  more; 

And  no  one  complained,  but  all  were  content, 

And  happy  their  dreams  when  to  sleep  they  all  went. 

Having  slept  the  night  through,  in  the  morning  each  man 

Was  astir  when  the  lark  its  sweet  music  began. 

On  the  first  day  from  home,  of  the  women  a  throng 

Followed  close  to  the  warriors  to, cheer  them  along; 

And  among  them  Alola,  bewitching  and  bland, 

Was  the  first  to  encourage  on  every  hand. 

Her  sweet,  gentle  voice  was  heard  the  day  through, 

Applauding  the  men,  though  she  very  well  knew 

How  much  danger  there  was  to  all  in  the  move, 

And  that  it  might  be  the  defeat  of  her  love. 

But  brave  girl  that  she  was,  she  in  God  put  her  trust, 

As  the  good  Manuelo  had  told  her  she  must. 

The  rules  of  their  warfare  at  this  time  required 


350  YEARS  AGO.  Ill 

That  the  women  should  stop,  though  Alola  desired 

To  go  further.     But  she,  like  the  rest,  was  compelled 

To  submit  to  the  law,  which  long  had  been  held 

To  be  absolute;  and  she  wrought  up  her  mind 

To  the  point  of  being  left  by  her  lover  behind. 

Manuelo  embraced  her  and  implanted  a  kiss, 

First  upon  that  cheek,  and  then  upon  this, 

Then  on  her  sweet  lips  he  gave  her  another, 

And  consigned  the  poor  girl  to  the  care  of  her  mother. 

The  army  already  was  moving  apace 

When  the  two  tore  themselves  from  each  other's  embrace; 

The  one  pushing  forward,  to  catch  those  who  were 

Gone  before,  while  the  other  remained  in  despair. 

The  women,  with  Alola,  returned  to  the  city, 

But  Alola,  from  sorrow,  was  an  object  of  pity. 

Her  companions,  as  best  they  were  able,  consoled  her 

By  saying  the  army  was  strong,  and  some  told  her 

That  all  would  return  in  a  moon  or  two  more, 

That  at  furthest  they  could  not  be  gone  more  than  four 

But  all  that  was  said  no  comfort  could  bring, 

Such  fearful  forebodings  oppressed  the  poor  thing. 

On  the  second  day  out  they  came  near  the  mouth 

Of  a  very  large  river  which  flowed  from  the  South. 

This  barrier  gave  them  of  trouble  some  warning, 

So  they  camped  on  its  bank,  and  rested  till  morning. 

It  required  all  next  day  this  wide  river  to  cross, 

But  they  effected  the  passage  without  any  loss. 

The  men  could  all  swim,  and  in  that  way  got  through, 

But  for  baggage  and  blankets  that  way  would  not  do. 

So  they  made  them  some  rafts  from  the  timber  near  by, 

And  got  their  things  over  in  order  and  dry. 

From  their  camp  the  third  night  their  second  was  seen, 

For,  in  truth,  there  was  only  the  river  between. 

Their  course  from  that  point  to  the  northward  was  bent, 

Sending  runners  ahead  as  onward  they  went, 

So  that  any  surprises  they  might  thus  prevent. 

Crossing  stream  after  stream,  the  army  advanced, 

And  on  the  sixth  day,  about  noon,  as  it  chanced, 

They  came  unexpectedly  flat  on  the  foe; 

And  further,  just  then,  therefore  could  not  go. 


112  CALIFORNIA 

The  Modens,  by  what  means  no  one  can  now  say, 

Were  informed  of  the  war,  and  the  march,  day  by  day, 

And  for  fighting  their  soldiers  were  fully  prepared, 

Nor  did  they  appear  in  the  least  degree  scared. 

In  numbers  the  Modens  were  more  than  their  equal, 

And  likewise  in  arms,  as  appears  in  the  sequel, 

They  were  fully  a  match  for  the  Pines, 

Who  at  once  formed  themselves  in  three  lines, 

And  in  a  short  time  a  warm  fight 

Was  begun  on  the  left  and  the  right. 

The  center  soon  joined  in  the  battle, 

And  then  was  heard  a  most  terrible  rattle 

Of  tomahawks,  and  arrows,  and  spears, 

Attended  with  shouts  and  with  cheers, 

As  one  or  the  other  side  faltered, 

Or  ay  the  tide  of  the  battle  seemed  altered. 

The  Oaks  had  the  choice  of  the  ground, 

As  the  Pines  to  their  sorrow  soon  found; 

So  back  fell  the  Pines  a  short  space, 

And  drew  the  Modens  from  their  place 

Of  defense.     The  Modens  coming  out 

Fully  thought  that  a  general  rout 

Of  the  Pines  was  about  to  take  place, 

And  made  ready  to  give  them  a  chase. 

But  the  movement  was  only  a  ruse, 

As  their  king,  had  he  not  been  deceived, 

Might  have  seen.     The  two  armies  were  then 

On  a  footing  nearly  equal  again, 

And  the  battle,  with  desperate  power, 

Continued  for  more  than  an  hour; 

And  the  sky  with  the  weapons  was  made 

So  dark  that  both  fought  in  the  shade, 

As  the  Spartans  had  fought  at  Thermopylae  Pass, 

Under  lead  of  their  captain,  great  Leonidas, 

When  attacked  by  the  Persians,  a  numberless  host, 

Who  with  Xerxes  came  over  from  the  opposite  coast. 

At  that  time  we  are  told  the  Persians  let  fly 

Of  arrows  so  many  as  to  darken  the  sky. 

But  now  no  Persians  were  engaged  in  the  fray, 

It  was  Greek  meeting  Greek  in  fearful  array. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  113 

Bear-Slayer  appeared  in  the  front  of  the  strife, 

Contending,  entirely  regardless  of  life; 

While  Manuelo  kept  himself  aloof  from  the  foe, 

For  no  weapons  had  he  that  were  useful  to  throw. 

His  arms  were  only  his  pistols  and  sword, 

And  with  these  he  concluded  he  could  not  afford 

To  expose  and  imperil  his  person  too  much 

To  the  arrows  and  spears  and  to  javelins  and  such 

Weapons  as  were  sent  from  afar  by  the  Oaks, 

Who  if  near  would  have  felt  his  terrible  strokes. 

Standing  back  on  a  knoll  by  a  tree, 

Many  plumes  in  the  fight  he  could  see 

Waving  high  to  and  fro,  as  the  men 

To  the  charge  rushed  again  and  again. 

At  some  points  on  the  line  a  great  yell 

Would  be  raised,  as  whole  ranks  of  men  fell, 

Cut  down,  not  unlike  as  by  reaping  machine, 

When  driven  through  grain,  as  in  later  days  seen. 

The  wounded,  in  numbers,  were  borne  to  the  rear, 

And  their  cries  from  the  pain  it  was  painful  to  hear. 

But  as  bad  luck  would  have  it  just  then, 

Of  the  Oaks  more  than  five  hundred  men 

Turned  the  flank  of  the  Pines  on  the  right, 

Thus  compelling  Manuelo  to  fight. 

The  Modens  before  had  not  seen 

Any  maa  of  such  dress  and  such  mien, 

And  his  weapons  to  them  were  quite  new ; 

As  they  viewed  him,  the  larger  he  grew 

To  their  sight.     They  were  stricken  with  fear, 

And  kept  aloof,  for  they  durst  not  come  near 

Such  a  man.     He  advanced  with  sword  out, 

And  in  a  moment  he  put  them  to  rout. 

How  many  he  slew  is  not  stated, 

Though  doubtless,  had  the  fact  been  related 

By  another,  we  had  heard  that  a  score 

Of  the  Oaks  bit  the  dust,  if  not  more. 

The  foe  he  pursued  o'er  the  plain, 

But  to  camp  he  returned  not  again 

That  night ;  for  the  day  was  far  spent, 

And  he  hardly  knew  whither  he  went; 


114  CALIFORNIA 

But  in  the  lines  of  the  Oaks  was  betrayed 
By  pursuit,  so  the  manuscript  said. 
But  for  him  the  whole  fight  had  been  lost, 
And  to  the  brave  Santos  at  terrible  cost. 
Of  this  truth  he  was  fully  persuaded, 
And  the  thought  of  it  very  much  aided 
His  low  spirits,  and  some  courage  inspired, 
As  with  the  Modens  he  slowly  retired. 
The  friendly  approach  of  the  night 
Put  an  end  to  that  terrible  fight ; 
But  his  friends  he  saw  not  again, 
Nor  knew  he  how  many  were  slain, 
Nor  what  number  got  off  with  their  lives, 
And  in  safety  returned  to  their  wives. 
He  hardly  believed  in  their  flight, 
But  supposed  in  the  darkness  of  night 
Their  march  to  the  South  they  had  taken, 
And  in  this  he  was  by  no  means  mistaken. 

XLIX. 

CAPTIVITY. 

THE  fact  being  plainly  stated  and  without  disguise  or  pre 
varication,  the  doughty  Manuelo  was  a  prisoner  of  war  and 
had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  very  enemy  upon  whom  he 
was  seeking  to  wreak  his  vengeance.  His  case  was  a  striking 
illustration  of  the  predicament  of  a  man  spoken  of  in  Spanish 
literature  who  went  forth  after  wool  and  came  back  shorn,  ex 
cept  that  Manuelo  could  not  get  back,  being  kept  in  close 
custody  by  the  blood-thirsty  Modens.  Perhaps  a  better  elu 
cidation  of  his  condition  at  this  unfortunate  moment  would  be 
to  say  of  him,  in  maritime  phrase,  with  which  he  was  himself 
familiar,  that  the  very  Old  Nick  was  to  pay.  In  less  time  than 
it  takes  to  relate  the  circumstances,  though  not  a  moment  were 
wasted  in  detail,  he  was  deprived  of  his  arms  and  likewise 
stripped  of  his  bear-skin  garments;  for  the  enemy  would  be 


350  YEARS  AGO.  115 

sure  that  he  was  not  half  bear  and  half  man,  as  at  first  they 
feared. 

Now,  nearly  naked  and  stricken  with  apprehension,  he  was 
bound  hand  and  foot  with  thongs  of  strong  rawhide.  Fortu 
nately  for  Manuelo,  curiosity  "sometimes  gets  the  better  of 
man's  as  well  as  woman's  judgment.  He,  being  of  an  entirely 
different  race  from  any  they  had  ever  known,  was  looked 
upon  as  an  object  of  great  wonder,  else  he  might  have 
been  dispatched  at  once  by  his  captors,  as  was  their  custom 
of  treating  prisoners  of  war  when  taken  with  arms  in  their 
hands.  What  struck  them  as  most  remarkable  about  his  per 
son  was  the  peculiar  style  of  his  apparel,  which,  owing  to  his 
superior  skill  as  a  tailor,  was  far  more  complete  than  had  been 
adopted  by  the  rest  of  the  Santos  soldiers,  and  altogether  dif 
ferent  from  any  the  Modens  had  ever  before  had  an  opportu 
nity  to  inspect.  This  fortuitous  circumstance  inured  to  his 
advantage  by  causing  sufficient  delay  in  his  punishment  to 
allow  him  to  bring  into  play  his  marvelous  talents  and  to  in 
augurate  a  system  of  tactics  which  was  to  end  in  his  deliver 
ance,  at  least  from  the  danger  of  immediate  execution. 

As  upon  his  breast  and  arms,  while  a  sailor,  had  been  im 
printed  with  India  ink  figures  of  one  sort  or  another,  so  was 
impressed  upon  his  memory  indelibly  a  say  ing "  often  heard  at 
sea,  to  the  effect  that  "the  gods  help  them  who  help  them 
selves.''  He  was  forcibly  reminded  of  this  now  by  the  circum 
stance  of  his  being  in  great  peril.  Taking  in  the  situation  in 
all  its  phases,  he  set  himself,  with  great  coolness,  about  the 
task  of  extricating  himself  from  his  present  difficulties.  In  this 
Tie  exhibited  as  much  presence  of  mind  as  had  ever  been  dis 
played  by  him  on  shipboard. 

With  a  degree  of  shrewdness  that  has  seldom  been  surpassed, 
he  professed  towards  the  Santos  the  bitterest  animosity,  and 
was  most  profuse  in  his  denunciations  of  that  people.  He 
stigmatized  them  as  base  and  cowardly  beyond  expression. 


116  CALIFORNIA 

Could  you  have  heard  him  you  must  have  believed  his  late 
friends  to  have  been  the  worst  class  of  people  upon  earth.  He 
represented  truthfully  enough  that  his  coming  amongst  them 
was  the  result  of  an  accident,  and  that  he  had  long  sought  to 
leave  the  Santos,  but  had  been  prevented  from  doing  so  by 
their  jealousy  of  the  Modens,  whom,  above  all  people  in  the 
world,  he  had  been  desirous  of  visiting;  that  he  had  been  com 
pelled,  much  against  his  inclinations — another  truth — to  join 
the  late  expedition;  and  cited  his  reluctance  in  coming  to  the 
front  of  the  fight  as  proof  of  his  partiality  towards  the  magnan 
imous  Modens,  as  he  now  purposely  termed  them.  With  ad 
mirable  tact  he  assured  them  his  final  assault  was  inspired  by 
fear  of  the  treacherous  javelins  of  their  enemies.  In  fine,  his 
deprecations  of  the  Santos  were  only  equaled  by  his  laudations 
of  the  Oaks,  and  so  loud  and  persistent  was  he  in  both  that 
on  the  following  day  the  thongs  were  removed  from  his  swollen 
limbs,  and  he  was  permitted  once  more  to  lift  up  his  head,  as  he 
did  at  the  same  time  his  voice  in  his  mother-tongue,  in  thank 
fulness  toward  Heaven  for  so  much  of  freedom  again.  But  he 
was  yet  a  close  prisoner,  and  was  still  looked  upon  with  a 
measure  of  suspicion;  for  not  only  had  he  fought  with  effect 
in  the  late  struggle  upon  the  land,  but  his  fight  on  the  river 
was  remembered  by  some  of  the  men.  His  bear-skin  blouse, 
which  had  served  as  a  coat  of  mail  on  that  memorable  occa 
sion,  was  the  thing  that  betrayed  him.  He  was  pretty  clearly 
recognized  as  the  one  who  had  been  so  fatally  active  in  that 
encounter,  and  his  conduct  at  that  time  was  yet  unexplained. 
Fortunately  for  Manuelo  assurance  was  a  commodity  in 
which  he  had  largely  dealt  as  a  seaman,  in  his  intercourse  with 
other  nations,  and  having  a  good  stock  of  it  always  on  hand, 
he  found  no  difficulty  in  putting  it  in  use  as  occasion  required. 
With  apparent  cheerfulness  he  accompanied  the  Moden  war 
riors  back  to  their  principal  village  at  the  mouth  of  that  river, 
then,  as  afterwards,  called  the  Uba. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  117 

He  was  net  many  days  in  learning  whatever  was  peculiar 
about  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  Modens,  being  aided  in  this 
by  an  experience  drawn  from  visits  to  many  ports  of  the  world. 
He  noted,  in  particular,  such  habits  as  did  not  accord  with 
those  of  their  more  tropical  neighbors,  the  Santos.  He  found 
•that  the  government  of  the  Modens  was  far  more  stringent 
than  the  other,  and  that  the  power  of  their  king  was  more  ab 
solute  than  was  that  of  Bear-Slayer.  The  leading  men  likewise 
were  more  austere,  and  the  people  at  large  less  independent 
than  any  natives  he  had  hitherto  seen.  Infinitely  less  good 
will  and  generosity  were  exhibited  here  than  where  he  had 
formerly  been,  and  he  found  it  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to 
ingratiate  himself  with  the  leading  classes  as  he  had  in  the  city 
by  the  Bay.  His  efforts  in  that  direction  being  abortive  he  in 
dulged  in  some  reflections,  which  Justino  has  had  the  goodness 
to  transmit,  and  of  which  we  give  a  very  imperfect  translation: 

Manuelo  was  wise  and  he  very  well  knew 

As  things  were  now  drifting,  what  was  left  him  to  do. 

They  had  made  him  a  slave  and  were  treating  him  roughly, 

And  the  king  most  of  all  acted  towards  him  quite  gruffly. 

This  insolence  Manuelo  could  hardly  endure, 

So  he  began  to  instruct  and  enlighten  the  poor. 

He  taught  them  their  rights  and  advised  a  rebellion; 

He  told  them  their  king  was  a  regular  hellion, 

And  oppressed  and  annoyed  them  in  every  way, 

And  made  them  unhappy  by  night  and  by  day. 

He  said  that  the  king  was  himself  only  human, 

And,  as  they  could  see,  was  as  weak  as  a  woman; 

He  argued  that  men  of  all  ranks  were  the  same, 

That  the  difference  between  them  was  only  in  name; 

That  the  slave  was  as  strong  as  the  king  was,  in  body, 

And  that  royal  pretensions  were  nothing  but  shoddy. 

By  the  mind  he  declared  a  man's  power  should  be  known, 

And  speaking  of  mind,  he  referred  to  his  own 

For  the  proof  that  his  point  was  taken  correct, 

And  this  proof  was  cited  with  the  greatest  effect. 

He  told  them  that  morals  in  the  life  of  a  king 


118  CALIFORNIA 

Were  truly  a  most  indispensable  thing  ; 

That  his  whole  private  conduct  should  be  without  blame, 

Else  the  men  of  his  kingdom  might  do  just  the  same. 

The  life  of  this  king  was  exceedingly  bad, 

Indeed,  it  was  said  by  his  men  that  he  had 

On  many  occasions  his  duty  o'erstept, 

And  his  promises  made  to  them  seldom  were  kept. 

They  knew  that  he  fooled  them  whenever  he  could, 

And,  in  short,  that  he  would  not,  and  could  not,  be  good. 

To  Manuelo  himself  less  respect  was  now  shown 

Than  ever  on  land  or  at  sea  had  he  known. 

His  titles  of  Prince,  and  of  Priest,  and  of  Tailor, 

To  his  boundless  chagrin  had  departed  together. 

Base  work  of  all  sorts  he  was  ordered  to  do, 

To  bear  heavy  burdens,  or  paddle  canoe; 

The  skinning  of  beasts  and  the  cleaning  of  salmon 

Among  other  duties  were  far  the  most  common. 

To  carry  the  game  he  was  always  required, 

And  to  hurry  along,  though  he  might  be  so  tired 

That  he  hardly  could  walk,  for  the  horrible  Oaks 

Would  prod  him  along,  but  never  would  coax. 

So  severe  were  his  trials  and  so  hard  was  his  lot 

That  he  wished  he  might  die,  but  die  he  could  not. 

Thus  his  life  had  become  a  sore  burden  to  him, 

Or,  at  least,  very  often  a  burden  would  seem. 

No  hope  was  in  view,  nor  relief  could  he  find,   • 

When,  at  last,  as  was  said,  he  made  up  his  mind 

To  lead  a  rebellion  against  the  old  king, 

Prepared  as  he  was  for  some  desperate  thing. 

His  life  was  so  wretched  that  little  cared  he 

As  to  what,  in  the  end,  his  own  fate  might  be. 

His  plans  were  so  good,  and  so  well  were  they  laid, 

That  two  thousand  men  were  prepared  for  his  aid. 

But  for  coming  together  a  pretext  was  wanted. 

And,  as  good  luck  would  have  it,  such  a  pretext  was  granted. 

Some  huge  grizzly  bears  now  appeared  in  the  valley, 

And  a  signal  it  was  for  the  people  to  rally, 

To  drive  the  beasts  back;  and  while  they  were  armed, 

About  Manuelo  in  forces  they  swarmed. 

He  exhorted  them  all  to  prepare  for  the  fight, 

Intending  to  lead  them  on  the  city  that  night. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  119 

An  address  he  then  made,  in  these  words,  very  near, 
And  the  slaves  were  delighted  such  counsel  to  hear. 

Throughout  the  whole  world,  and  throughout  all  time, 

The  crime  of  oppression  has  prepared  men  for  crime  ; 

Men  treated  like  brutes  like  brutes  will  become  ; 

They  will  show  it  in  public,  and  show  it  at  home. 

It  is  one  of  the  laws  of  inevitable  fate 

That  hatred  towards  others  in  others  breeds  hate. 

If  princes  and  kings  this  law  would  more  heed, 

There  would  be  fewer  jails,  and  of  th'  gallows  less  need. 

Both  subject  and  ruler  more  happy  would  be 

If  the  one  were  more  kind  and  the  others  more  free. 

The  scepter  of  power  in  the  hands  of  the  strong 

Should  be  wielded  for  justice,  and  never  for  wrong. 

That  rule  is  successful  which  is  based  upon  right, 

And  the  same  sort  of  rule  possesses  most  might; 

For  the  king  or  the  prince  that  dares  be  unjust 

Can  never  with  safety  or  confidence  trust 

In  his  subjects,  for  as  he  is  their  foe 

The  same  disposition  towards  him  will  they  show; 

And  certain  it  is,  should  the  chance  ever  rise, 

They  will  prove  to  the  tyrant  how  much  they  despise, 

In  their  hearts,  such  a  man;  and  if  ever 

They  can,  his  head  from  his  body  will  sever." 

Here  ended  the  speech,  and  the  crowd  standing  there 

Were  by  it  excited  beyond  all  compare; 

A»d  if  good  Justino  is  himself  not  mistaken, 

The  earth  thereabouts  with  their  plaudits  was  shaken. 

But  the  king  and  his  chiefs,  and  the  king's  only  son, 

Had  already  been  told  what  was  then  going  on, 

And  were  fully  prepared  for  a  lively  defense 

Whenever  the  rebels  the  fight  should  commence. 

The  serfs  with  much  glee  set  out  for  the  city, 

And  Manuelo  exultingly  declared  it  a  pity 

That  the  king  was  so  blind,  so  deaf,  and  so  dumb; 

That  the  best  he  could  do  would  be  to  succumb. 

In  this  sort  of  strain  they  marched  over  the  plain, 

And  back  with  quick  step  to  the  city  again. 

But  the  cowardly  slaves,  when  they  saw  the  king's  men, 

Were  stricken  with  fear,  and  all  of  them  ran. 


120  CALIFORNIA 

One  poor  little  squad,  with  Manuelo  in  lead, 

Betook  to  the  mountains,  at  the  top  of  their  speed, 

And  did  not  stop  running  that  night  nor  next  day, 

For  the  mountains  they  sought  were  quite  far  away. 

They  lay  to  the  west,  but  were  plainly  in  sight, 

And  the  men  hoped  by  running  to  reach  them  that  night. 

That  night  they  came  to  them,  but,  tired  and  footsore, 

They  lay  down  to  rest,  for  they  could  not  run  more. 

Some  slaves  it  is  said  from  the  Romans  once  fled, 

And  were  far  in  the  mountains  by  Spartacus  led; 

And  the  case  we  are  giving  was  a  parallel  case, 

And  differed  from  that  but  in  name  and  in  place. 

The  Spartacus  here  was  Manuelo  the  brave, 

Who,  like  the  great  Roman,  his  forces  to  save, 

Went  off  to  the  mountains  to  hide  himself  there 

WThere  he  might  live  in  peace  and  enjoy  the  free  air. 

But  as  Spartacus  found  his  retreat  was  no  fun, 

So  Manuelo's  troubles  were  now  just  begun, 

For,  seeking  his  freedom,  he  found  to  his  cost 

That  the  further  he  went  the  more  he  was  lost. 

But  he    could  not  return,  nor  find  his  way  out, 

And  all  that  was  left  was  to  wander  about 

In  the  mountains  most  wild,  and  through  the  dark  wood, 

And  pick  up  a  living  in  the  best  way  he  could. 

L. 

THE  RETREAT. 

PUSHING  far  to  the  west,  to  the  ocean  he  came, 

An  ocean  of  which  he  knew  not  the  name, 

The  one  called  Pacific  he  judged  it  might  be, 

But  on  its  broad  face  not  a  sail  could  he  see, 

And  his  heart  sank  within  him,  as  he  stood  on  the  shore, 

And  he  feared  that  his  home  he  would  see  never  more; 

The  slaves  that  were  with  him  became  discontent, 

And  as  he  then  thought  on  mischief  were  bent. 

But  he  cheered  them  all  up  as  best  he  was  able, 

And  to  inspire  them  with  courage  related  a  fable; 

How  once  on  a  time  when  a  boat  was  upset, 

And  the  crew  cast  ashore  all  hungry  and  wet, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  121 

An  angel  came  up  from  the  depths  of  the  sea, 

And  made  them  as  happy  as  men  could  well  be, 

By  giving  them  food  and  by  lighting  a  fire, 

And  setting  before  them  all  their  hearts  could  desire. 

And  he  said  when  the  crew,  fuli  of  food,  went  to  sleep, 

The  angel,  standing  guard,  did  safely  them  keep. 

And  when  they  awoke  on  the  following  day, 

The  angel,  still  there,  pointed  out  the  right  way. 

When  he  finished  his  story  the  Modens  believed  him, 

For  up  to  that  time  he  had  never  deceived  them, 

And  though  they  were  all  in  a  terrible  strait, 

lie  led  them  to  hope  that  they  need  only  wait 

A  little  while  longer,  when  an  angel  would  come, 

And  not  only  feed  them,  but  show  the  way  home. 

It  was  not  what  he  meant,  but  it  happened  just  then 

That  relief  unexpected  wa ;  found  for  his  men. 

Close  by  on  the  rocks  some  shell-fish  he  saw, 

And  so  hungry  were  all  that  they  ate  them  down  raw. 

Supplied  with  this  food  the  slaves  were  content, 

And  believed  Manuelo  these  shell-fish  had  meant. 

Manuelo  himself  was  filled  with  delight, 

For  just  before  then  he  was  in  a  sad  plight, 

With  a  whole  squad  of  men  in  a  lonely  retreat, 

All  hungry  and  cold  and  with  nothing  to  eat, 

And  he  as  their  leader  was  expected  to  find, 

If  not  the  best  food,  at  least  foou  of  some  kind. 

The  sun  was  now  sinking,  and  as  all  had  enough, 

They  concluded  that  night  to  sleep  on  the  bluff; 

But  the  next  day  thereafter,  when  breakfast  was  done, 

They  faced  to  the  southward  and  marched  one  by  one, 

Keeping  close  by  the  sea  as  their  base  of  supplies, 

And  to  avoid  any  danger  that  might  otherwise 

Have  arisen,  a?  a  bear,  or  a  wolf,  or  a  tiger, 

Or  it  might  be  a  lion,  or  it  might  be  a  cougar. 

Their  march  they  kepc  up  for  many  a  day, 

But  precisely  how  many  we  cannot  now  say, 

For  time  was  not  made  for  those  ignorant  slaves. 

Their  object  was  always  to  keep  near  the  waves, 

Where  clams  they  could  find  and  their  hunger  appease, 

And  on  the  sea-beach  in  th^  sun  take  their  ease. 


122  CALIFORNIA 

But  we  think  we  may  say  they  followed  the  shore, 

Going  south  all  the  while,  some  three  weeks  or  more ; 

But  how  many  leagues  we  are  bound  to  confess, 

If  we  were  to  state,  it  would  be  but  a  guess. 

A  hundred,  we  think,  would  not  be  too  many, 

And  certain  we  are  it  was  fifty,  if  any. 

Here  they  came  to  a  point  where  the  shore  ben  s  inland, 

And  the  squad  were  at  once  forced  to  come  to  a  stand. 

Manuelo,  the  leader,  knew  not  where  to  turn, 

Nor  was  anyone  present  from  whom  he  could  learn ; 

Yet  he  did  not  make  known,  at  the  time,  to  his  men, 

The  true  state  of  facts  and  the  fix  he  was  in  ; 

For  all  of  the  while  he  pretended  to  know 

Just  where  he  might  be  and  where  he  would  go, 

And  in  this  sort  of  way,  as  one  may  well  see, 

He  kept  discontent  from  his  little  army. 

Taking  in  at  this  point  of  fresh  clams  a  good  store, 

He  boldly  pushed  inland,  bearing  off  from  the  shore. 

The  Greeks  under  Xenophon  were  ten  thousand  men, 

But  the  force  on  this  march  in  all  numbered  ten. 

The  perils  of  both  were  the  same  very  near; 

In  each  case  the  soldiers  were  always  in  fear 

Of  surprise  of  some  kind  or  a  covert  attack, 

Which  might  stop  their  march  and  perhaps  turn  them  back. 

But  the  wisdom  displayed  on  this  expedition 

Was  greater  because  they  subsisted  by  fishing, 

And  Xenophon's  genius  did  by  no  means  excel 

That  which  was  displayed  by  the  great  Manuel. 

As  the  Greeks  were  compelled  from  their  course  to  depart, 

So  these  from  the  sea  had  to  take  a  new  start. 

They  marched  over  hills  and  through  woods  high  an<l  low; 

Neither  soldier  nor  leader  knew  whither  to  go  ; 

But  they  kept  right  along  nor  stopped  they  to  rest, 

Till  the  sun  was  fast  sinking  far  down  in  the  west, 

When  they  came  to  a  spring  from  which  they  would  drink, 

But  the  water  within  it  was  blacker  than  ink. 

It  smelt  strongly  of  sulphur  and  likewise  was  hot, 

And  when  they  would  taste  it  they  found  they  could  not. 

But  they  camped  near  the  spring  and  rested  that  night, 

And  Manuelo  in  dreaming  thought  he  saw  a  strange  sight. 

In  the  far-distant  future  he  beheld  on  that  ground 


350  YEARS  AGO.  123 

Large  buildings  erected  and  men  all  around  ; 
And  likewise  of  women  and  children  a  host, 
But  whether  of  boys  or  of  girls  there  were  most 
He  hardly  could  tell,  and  remained  in  some  doubt 
Till  after  a  while  their  mothers  came  out, 
When  the  girls  all  went  in  and  the  boys  ran  away. 
The  women  he  noticed  were  dressed  very  gay, 
And  he  said  they  appeared  all  to  him  very  pretty, 
And  in  conversation  were  exceedingly  witty. 
The  young  men  and  maidens  appeared  to  be  flirting, 
But  which  loved  each  other  he  was  very  uncertain. 
He  could  not  see  why  they  had  come  to  these  springs, 
But  these  things  he  saw  arid  some  other  things. 
This  curious  dream  he  could  never  explain 
But  he  thought  of  it  over  and  over  again, 
And  that  is  the  reason  it  is  now  related 
Just  as  it  is  in  the  manuscript  stated. 
Whether  true  or  not  true  no  one  can  now  know, 
But  as  for  myself  I  believe  it  is  so. 
The  man  could  have  had  no  motive  in  view 
To  relate  such  a  story  if  the  same  were  not  true, 
And  it  would  have  been  wicked  in  him  to  deceive, 
And  therefore  I  say  that  the  dream  I  believe. 

After  dreaming  that  dream  at  the  Hot  Sulphur  Springs, 
Manuelo  and  his  men  gathered  up  all  their  thir.gs 
And  set  out,  refreshed,  on  their  journey  once  more, 
As  uncertain  where  it  led  as  they  had  been  before. 
But  such  was  their  strait  that  they  could  not  delay 
Nor  afford  then  to  lose  but  a  single  half  clay. 
So  they  climbed  over  mountains  and  threaded  ravines, 
Exhausting  their  strength  and  exhausting  their  means 
Of  subsistence.     Through  woods  they  meandered, 
Over  hill  and  through  dale,  still  onward  they  wandered, 
.Until  the  fifth  day  about  noon  they  espied 
Far  off  to  the  south  on  a  steep  mountain-side 
A  large  column  of  smoke  in  that  quarter  ascending, 
And  it  lay  in  the  way  the  lost  ones  were  tending. 
They  saw  it  with  hope  and  likewise  with  fear, 
Or  would  have  so  viewed  it  if  it  had  been  near. 
In  a  country  so  strange  there  was  no  way  to  know 


124  CALIFORNIA 

If  the  fire  had  been  kindled  by  friend  or  by  foe. 
But  hunger  compelled  them  to  keep  on  their  way, 
And  they  traveled  on  towards  it  the  rest  of  that  day. 

In  the  darkness  of  night  and  while  the  men  slept, 

Their  leader,  more  bold,  still  on  his  way  kept, 

Intending  to  find  if  he  could  as  a  spy, 

Who  the  people  might  be,  or  at  all  events  try, 

But  he  did  not  succeed,  and  he  sought  to  get  back, 

But  the  night  being  dark  he  missed  his  own  track 

And  was  himself  lost,  or  rather  his  men 

Were  all  to  him  lost,  for  he  never  again 

In  all  his  life  long  at  any  time  heard 

Either  from  them  or  of  them,  so  much  as  a  word. 

But  he  hunted  and  called  for  them  early  and  late, 

And  was  greatly  concerned  as  to  what  was  their  fate. 

Despairing  at  last  his  attention  he  turned 

To  the  side  of  the  mountain  where  once  the  fire  burned; 

But  alas  for  the  leader,  and  as  he  had  feared, 

The  fire  had  gone  out  and  the  smoke  disappeared! 

Manuelo  was  now  in  a  very  bad  way, 

For,  the  truth  being  told,  he  could  not  well  say 

Just  what  he  should  do,  or  where  he  should  go, 

Ex-slave  as  he  was  and  fugitive  too. 

No  longer  like  Spartacus  a  leader  was  he, 

Nor  Xenophon-like  could  he  march  by  the  sea, 

But  more  like  Fred  Douglas,*  who  flew  from  his  master 

To  find  and  encounter  some  greater  disaster. 

At  night  the  north  star  Manuelo  could  see, 

But  towards  that  star  he  wished  not  to  flee; 

In  the  other  direction  he  rather  would  run, 

And  he  took  for  his  guide  the  full  noonday  sun. 

He  sped  to  the  south  and  kept  going  ahead; 

As  a  slave  from  his  master  so  with  vigor  he  fled. 

At  last  when  he  came  to  a  place  on  his  route 

Where  signs  were  abundant  that  men  were  about, 

Like  a  slave  as  he  was,  at  a  distance  he  hovered, 


*This  name  is  substituted  for  the  one  in  the  MS.,  which  could  not  be  made  out  very 
clearly,  though  it  sounded  something  like  this;  but,  being  the  name  of  a  mere  slave,  it 
can  make  no  difference. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  125 

And  was  in  great  fear  lest  he  should  be  discovered. 
While  thus  hiding  and  waiting  and  watching  one  morning, 
A  woman  came  on  him  without  any  warning. 
His  eyes,  at  the  first,  he  could  hardly  believe, 
And  yet  he  was  certain  they  could  not  deceive ; 
But  looking  he  doubted  and  was  troubled  with  fears, 
For  his  orbs,  the  fact  was,  were  fast  filling  with  tears, 
For  the  lady  that  came,  do  you  think  it  could  be 
The  gentle  Nona?     Oh,  yes,  it  was  she  ! 
He  was  never  so  happy  before  in  his  life 
As  when  he  beheld  his  would-be  young  wife  ; 
He  rushed  out  to  meet  her,  and  would  her  embrace, 
But  she  hurried  away,  and  then  he  gave  chase. 
Such  changes  had  servitude  in  his  looks  wrought 
That  she  knew  him  not  then,  but  the  poor  creature  thought 
That  he  was  a  Moclen,  as  his  dress  indicated, 
And  how  she  was  frightened  after  that  she  related. 
He  followed  her  closely,  as  close  as  he  could, 
And  when  at  full  speed  they  emerged  from  the  wood, 
"  He  saw  by  the  smoke  that  so  gracefully  curled 

Among  the  green  trees,  that  a  village  was  near, 
And  he  said  if  there's  peace  to  be  found  in  the  world, 

The  heart  that  is  humble  may  hope  for  it  here."  * 

LI. 

SOME  REHEARSALS. 

IT  is  hard  to  descend  from  Pegasus,  when  once  you  are  fairly 
astride;  much  harder  in  fact  to  dismount  than  it  is  to  continue 
to  ride.  And  so  the  young  priests  at  Evora  indulged  pretty 
freely  in  rhyme,  in  giving  Justine's  strange  story  of  what  was 
told  at  the  time  he  was  living  in  old  Acapulco,  about  a  land  to 
the  north,  far  away;  how  a  vessel  they  called  the  Don  Carlos 
discovered  and  entered  a  Bay,  and  when  from  the  length  of  her 
cruise  she  needed  fresh  water  the  more,  she  manned  a  small 


*  The  utterance  of  these  same  ideas  by  Goldsmith  was  at  first  a  mystery,  but  it  is  ex 
plained  by  assuming  that  the  young  priests  of  Evora  were  familiar  with  that  English 
author. 


126  CALIFORNIA 

boat  with  armed  men,  and  sent  them  to  find  it  ashore;  how  the 
crew  of  the  boat  were  surprised  as  they  ventured  too  far,  and 
then  ran;  and  all  of  them  made  their  escape  excepting  a  single 
young  man,  who  was  left  by  his  friends  on  the  ground,  and  was 
believed  at  the  time  to  be  dead,  but  who  by  the  natives  was 
bound  and  into  captivity  led.  And  since  the  young  priests 
have  seen  fit  to  render  the  story  in  verse,  I  must  needs,  in 
translating,  in  like  manner  the  story  rehearse.  Just  as  in  their 
language  they  told  it,  in  English  I  am  bound  to  unfold  it. 
Whatever  in  prose  they  narrated,  in  prose  it  is  likewise  trans 
lated;  whatever  in  measure  they  gave  us,  in  measure  the  same 
it  is  given,  for  I  would  not  and  could  not,  to  save  me,  so  faith 
less  and  willful  have  proven  as  to  indulge  in  a  style  of  my  own, 
or  in  one  which  the  priests  had  not  shown  to  be  suited  to 
works  of  this  kind.  So  he  who  reads  further  will  find  a  most 
proper  and  truthful  narration  of  all  that  Manuelo  related  con 
cerning  the  Santos  nation,  and  what  likewise  of  others  was 
stated. 

Manuelo  was  left  at  the  time  of  this  little  diversion  in  full 
pursuit  of  the  Yono  maid,  but  his  utmost  exertion  to  overtake 
her  proved  in  vain.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  men 
of  this  tribe  were  swift  as  deer,  and  it  is  to  be  presumed  that 
the  women  were  equally  agile.  But  the  village  was  near  at  hand 
and  there  was  an  end  of  the  race.  The  people,  alarmed,  hurried 
forth  to  see  what  the  matter  might  be,  and  why  the  maiden  was 
running.  They  supposed  that  a  bear  or  some  beast  had  caused 
her  the  fright,  but  just  then  emerging  from  the  wood  Manuelo 
himself  hove  in  sight.  So  strange  his  appearance,  and  so  un- 
looked  for  his  coming,  that  not  a  person  in  all  the  tribe  recog 
nized  the  poor  man  at  first  view.  The  alarm  caused  by  the 
event  it  would  be  hard  to  describe,  if  a  single  man  could  be  said 
to  alarm  a  whole  tribe.  But  finding  him  out,  as  they  did,  there 
was  quickly  an  end  of  their  fears,  and  they  greeted  him  again 


350  YEARS  AGO.  127 

and  again  with  their  cheers.  They  first  thought,  as  was  said, 
that  perhaps  a  bear  it  might  be,  a  mistake  not  then  great,  for  a 
lion  indeed  now  was  he. 

The  Yono  women  who  had  been  so  kind  to  him  in  former 
days  did  everything  now  in  their  power  to  make  him  as  happy 
again.  The  men  gathered  around  and  loudly  importuned  him 
to  tell,  which  he  did,  about  his  life  with  the  Modens,  and  what 
had  befallen  him  while  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  hands  of  that 
blood-thirsty  nation;  how  they  cruelly  made  him  a  slave,  and 
with  what  unheard  of  vexation  they  compelled  him  to  do  work 
of  every  kind,  bestowing  upon  him  such  treatment  as  slaves  of 
the  baser  sort  find;  how  he  stood  it  as  long  as  he  could,  till 
his  life  a  burden  became;  how  at  last  he  was  forced  by  his  lot 
the  minds  of  the  serfs  to  inflame  against  the  old  king  and  his 
clique;  and  how  he  succeeded  at  last  in  exciting  a  rebellion. 
He  spoke  of  his  march  on  the  city,  which  he  expected  to  capt 
ure  by  night;  of  the  slaves  who,  exultant  at  first,  at  the  sight  of 
the  danger  took  fright.  He  told  how  he  fled  to  the  mountains, 
which  lay  far  off  to  the  west,  a  thing  that  he  disliked  to  do,  still 
he  thought  it  might  be  for  the  best  to  be  done  for  their  safety, 
and  as  well  for  his  own  extrication  from  the  burdens  imposed 
upon  him  by  the  king  of  that  horrible  nation.  Ten  men,  and 
no  more,  he  informed  them,  were  along  on  that  perilous  flight, 
and  all,  by  running  right  swiftly,  came  up  to  the  mountains 
next  night.  Seven  days  without  food,  he  then  stated,  or  just 
about  seven,  were  passed,  when  out  of  the  mountains  emerging, 
they  came  to  the  ocean  at  last.  He  said  they  were  dying  of 
hunger,  and  his  men  he  was  sure  meant  him  harm,  when  he 
told  them  a  story  of  angels,  and  the  story  it  worked  like  a 
charm.  Just  then  a  few  clams  were  discovered,  and  the  men 
ate  them  down  without  cooking.  These  were  thought  to  be  a 
godsend,  as  they  came  when  no  one  was  looking.  He  then 
went  over  the  story  about  their  long  march  by  the  strand,  and 
how  they  came  up  to  a  bay,  which  forced  them  to  turn  thence 


128  CALIFORNIA 

inland,  and  keeping  some  time  on  that  course,  but  how  far  and 
how  long  he  knew  not,  they  suddenly  came  upon  springs, 
the  waters  of  which  were  quite  hot.  And  then  he  related  his 
dream;  but  that  it  was  no  use  to  mention,  since  the  natives, 
though  listening  throughout,  had  of  it  not  the  least  comprehen 
sion.  He  next  gave  a  statement  in  detail  of  the  fact  of  his 
missing  his  men,  and  though  he  sought  for  them  weary  and 
long  was  unable  to  find  them  again. 

The  only  thing  further  worth  naming  about  which  to  them 
he  then  spoke  was  the  fact  of  his  seeing  before  him  on  the  far 
mountain-side  a  large  smoke;  that  while  he  was  seeking  his 
men  the  smoke  disappeared  from  his  view — and  all  the  rest  of 
the  story  he  told  them  they  very  well  knew. 

LII. 
AN  APOLOGY. 

IT  may  have  been  noticed,  if  not  all  the  same,  that  Pegasus 
was  weary  or  getting  quite  lame.  Whether  spavin  it  was,  or 
the  founder  that  ailed  him,  we  cannot  now  say,  but  his  wonted 
speed  failed  him.  And  why  should  it  not  ?  for  far  had  he 
traveled,  and  a  maze  of  events  had  thus  been  unraveled — 
from  the  city  of  Pines  to  the  city  of  Oaks,  in  war  and  in  peace 
and  with  all  sorts  of  folks;  from  thence  all  around  by  the 
shore  of  the  ocean,  he  had  somehow  kept  up  his  ambling 
motion.  Now,  after  all  this,  it  was  thought. to  be  best  to  pull 
up  a  little  and  give  him  a  rest.  So  from  this  time  forward, 
almost  to  the  close,  this  curious  history  will  stalk  on  in  prose, 
unless  the  poor  beast  should  get  over  his  lameness,  and  be  able 
to  avoid  that  intolerable  sameness  which  has  lately  appeared, 
of  unless  he  should  take  the  bits  in  his  teeth,  and  in  that  way 
should  make  a  desperate  effort  to  galop  along,  in  which  case 
by  yielding  we  might  not  do  wrong.* 

*For  some  unexplained  reason  all  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  was 
omitted. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  129 

Lilt 

WITH  OLD  FRIENDS  AGAIN. 

NOTHING  had  ever  occurred  to  interfere  seriously  with  the 
confidence  reposed  in  Manuelo  by  the  Yonos.  However 
much  such  confidence  may  have  been  shaken  in  other  quar 
ters  by  events  transpiring  elsewhere,  the  causes  of  the  same 
had  not  spread  to  this  side  of  the  Bay,  and  he  was  never  the 
less  an  accepted  guest  among  this  simple  people.  His  influence 
with  them,  established  by  those  achievements  with  his  pistols 
already  described,  remained  unabated.  It  was,  if  possible, 
somewhat  augmented  by  the  heroism  displayed  during  his 
captivity  and  flight.  To  them,  at  least,  he  was  still  prince  and 
prophet,  though  with  the  disadvantage  now  of  being  poorly 
clad,  the  greedy  Modens  having,  as  he  informed  them,  stripped 
him  of  his  stylish  apparel.  Much  to  his  disgust  he  had  been 
invested  with  the  homely  costume  of  a  serf,  and  even  that, 
owing  to  the  menial  service  required  of  him,  no  less  than  to  the 
desperate  emergencies  of  the  flight,  had  become  dilapidated. 
It  was  his  early  aim,  therefore,  to  provide  himself  with  new 
clothing,  and  in  this  task  he  had  the  willing  assistance  of  the 
women  of  the  village,  who  had  by  this  time  become  as  expert 
as  himself  in  the  use  of  the  needle.  Among  the  most  active 
of  these  was  the  woman  for  whom  he  had  conceived  some 
regard  on  his  former  visit,  and  whose  name,  as  already  related, 
was  kept  to  himself.  This  person  he  informs  us  possessed 
many  accomplishments  and  not  a  few  personal  attractions. 
During  his  absence  she  had  been  married,  in  pursuance  of  the 
laws  of  the  country,  to  the  son  of  the  first  prophet  of  the  village, 
who,  as  it  happened,  had  ever  been  among  the  warmest  friends 
and  companions  of  Manuelo,  and  had  shown  him  more  kind 
ness,  if  possible,  than  any  other  man  of  the  tribe.  He  was  be 
lieved,  however,  to  have  been  the  identical  person  who  had 
inflicted  the  severest  wound  upon  Manuelo  at  the  time  of  his 
9 


130  CALIFORNIA 

attempted  escape  with  the  crew  to  the  Don  Carlos.  If  that 
be  so,  the  young  man  with  great  gallantry  had  since  endeavored 
with  much  assiduity  to  repair  the  injury  then  inflicted.  The 
warmest  of  friendships  are  sometimes  sealed  in  this  way;  at  all 
events  these  two  were  on  the  most  intimate  terms,  and,  as 
Justino  thought,  almost  as  inseparable  as  Damon  and  Pythias. 

The  partiality  of  this  woman  for  Manuelo  before  .her  mar 
riage,  and  likewise  his  attachment  for  her  at  that  time,  had 
been  too  conspicuous  for  concealment,  and  the  fact  was  still  re 
membered  by  some  of  her  companions.  All  these  things  being 
considered,  and  also  the  fact  of  their  now  being  thrown 
together  again  in  the  preparation  of  his  new  habits,  it  will  not 
be  very  surprising  that  manifestations  of  her  old  partiality 
should  be  in  some  sort  renewed.  As  before  his  departure  so 
now  her  conduct  grew  to  be  the  subject  of  remark  in  the  vil 
lage,  and  particularly  among  such  women  as  are  given  to  con 
siderations  of  that  nature.  To  the  credit  of  Manuelo  it  should 
be  stated  that  he  exhibited  the  more  circumspection  of  the 
two.  As  in  duty  bound  he  carefully  avoided,  as  far  as  able, 
the  least  thing  that  might  revive  the  unwarranted  predilection 
of  the  woman  for  him.  But  notwithstanding  his  prudence,  if 
we  may  believe,  his  story,  he  was  not  a  little  annoyed  by  her 
demeanor;  for  in  the  simplicity  of  her  innocence  she  bestowed 
upon  him  kindly  gifts  of  wild  flowers  and  beautiful  ornaments 
of  feathers,  Had  Manuelo  been  other  than  a  true  friend,  the 
feelings  of  the  husband  might  have  been  more  speedily  aroused 
against  him;  and  as  it  was,  the  man  could  hardly  look  upon  the 
conduct  of  his  wife  with  absolute  indifference.  The  husband 
grew  cold  at  first,  and  eventually  it  was  observed  that  unmistak 
able  hostility  on  his  part  began  to  manifest  itself  towards  the 
unfortunate  Manuelo. 

By  the  time  his  new  garments  were  completed,  the  bodily 
strength  of  Manuelo  was  likewise  restored,  for  be  it  known  that 
in  consequence  of  his  horrible  servitude,  followed  immediately 
by  the  hardships  of  his  wearisome  flight,  his  health  had  become 


350  YEARS  AGO.  131 

impaired  equally  with  his  apparel,  and  it  required  almost  as 
much  exertion  to  restore  the  one  as  the  other. 

To  increase  the  embarrassment — that  embarrassment  which 
seemed  ever  on  the  alert  to  overtake  Manuelo — the  gentle  Nona, 
to  whom,  need  I  remind  the  reader,  he  had  been  unwillingly 
betrothed,  now  divested  herself  of  her  former  shyness,  and 
openly  avowed  that  had  she  known  or  even  suspected  who  it 
was  she  would  never  have  fled  from  him  in  the  woods.  Her 
flight  and  her  fright  she  insisted  must  be  attributed  solely  to 
his  strange  garb  and  changed  aspect,  and  by  no  means  to  her 
fear  of  the  man.  The  poor  creature  having  taken  him  for  a 
Moden,  or  a  veritable  wild  barbarian,  did  not  even  recognize 
his  voice,  though  he  called  upon  her  again  and  again  as  loudly 
as  he  was  able;  but  no  wonder  he  failed  to  make  himself  heard, 
for  was  he  not  still  hoarse  from  calling  at  the  top  of  his  voice, 
but  in  vain,  after  his  ten  lost  slave  companions  ? 

LIV. 

JEALOUSY. 

INTERROGATED  by  the  villagers  upon  the  subject,  Man 
uelo  was  obliged  to  confess  that  he  had  never  been  married;  that 
neither  when  with  the  Santos,  nor  yet  while  a  prisoner  among  the 
Modens,  had  he  been  furnished  with  a  wife,  and  the  hopes  of 
Nona  and  of  her  friends  were  greatly  stimulated  by  this  infor 
mation.  The  hopes  of  the  prophet's  son  were  in  like  manner 
duly  excited  by  the  same  intelligence,  for  he  was  extremely 
anxious  that  his  former  friend  should  assume  marital  relations, 
in  order  to  counteract  the  growing  attachment  of  his  imprudent 
wife,  and  he  accordingly  intrigued  with  his  venerable  father, 
and  the  other  dignitaries  of  the  village,  to  bring  about  that 
desirable  end.  In  this  conspiracy  the  young  man  had  not  cnly 
the  tacit  approval  of  the  fair  Nona  herself,  but  he  was  happy 
also  in  the  active  co-operation  of  all  the  priesthood,  and  of 
many  of  the  elderly  women  of  the  place. 


132  CALIFORNIA 

The  combined  opposition  to  the  movement  embraced  the 
unnamed  woman,  a  few  female  friends,  and  of  course  the  crafty 
Manuelo  himself;  but  these  were  more  than  a  match  for  the 
others,  as  the  sequel  will  show. 

Manuelo's  aversion  to  marriage  was  based  upon  entirely 
different  grounds  from  those  entertained  by  his  associates,  in 
the  work  of  resistance;  but  his  real  motives  were  carefully  con 
cealed  from  them,  lest  their  zeal  on  his  behalf  should  become 
slackened,  as  it  doubtless  would  have  been  had  they  learned 
that  his  heart  was  fixed  upon  an  object  far  away.  He  needed 
their  cordial  co-operation,  and  he  was  too  wise  to  risk  losing  it 
by  relating  to  them  all  that  he  knew  about  himself. 

The  simple-minded  Yonos  seemed  never  to  have  learned 
that  there  was  danger  in  delays,  and  therefore,  not  suspecting 
his  purpose,  they  listened  with  patience  to  one  pretext  and 
another  brought  forward  either  by,  or  on  behalf  of,  the  witsome 
Manuelo,  for  the  postponement  of  his  marriage  with  the  timid 
village  maiden-. 

In  the  contrivance  of  these  excuses  he  had,  of  course,  the 
aid  of  the  young  wife  and  her  female  companions.  For  the 
better  accomplishment  of  his  aims  he  would  have  consulted 
the  oracles,  as  on  a  former  occasion,  and  seriously  contemplated 
doing  so,  until  he  chanced  to  learn  that  the  priest  had  already 
communicated  with  them,  and  that  an  answer  adverse  to  his 
views  had  been  obtained. 

This  communication  he  could  not  expect  now  to  overthrow, 
as  he  had  that  of  the  Santos,  in  reference  to  war,  inasmuch  as 
the  loss  of  his  fire-arms  had  deprived  him  of  the  means  of  cre 
ating  either  thunder  or  lightning.  This  privation  was  sorely 
felt,  and  he  was  put  to  his  trumps,  so  to  speak,  to  find  a 
reason  for  again  deserting  the  Yonos. 

If  the  truth  must  be  confessed,  he  was  highly  flattered  by 
the  attentions  of  the  wife  of  his  friend;  but  his  heart  was  by  no 
means  captivated.  We  have  his  own  assertion  for  the  fact  that 


350  YEARS  AGO.  133 

his  feelings  towards  this  woman  were  those  of  commiseration 
only,  and  not  of  affection.  Never  for  a  moment  had  he  for 
gotten,  nor  could  he  forget,  the  bright-eyed  daughter  of  the 
king,  the  tearful  and  charming  Alola,  with  whom  he  had  parted 
with  so  much  reluctance  on  going  off  to  the  war.  Towards 
her  his  heart  waxed  warmer  than  ever  now  that  he  was  almost 
as  it  were  within  the  sound  of  her  sweet  voice,  and  his  longing 
to  meet  her  again  overrode  every  other  sentiment  of  his  nature. 

The  intelligent  reader  who  has  floated  along  on  the  current 
of  these  events  to  this  point,  will  hardly  consider  it  reiteration 
to  be  told  that  all  the  Yonos,  from  the  chief  down,  excepting 
the  priest's  son  alone,  but  including  particularly  the  females, 
were  extremely  reluctant,  and  now  more  than  ever,  to  part 
with  a  person  so  distinguished  in  their  eyes  as  Manuelo. 

For  reasons,  some  of  which  have  already  been  disclosed  and 
some  not,  they  determined  at  a  solemn  council  to  retain  him 
amongst  them,  and  adopt  him  as  one  of  their  tribe.  Numerous 
decrees  of  their  priests  pointed  in  the  direction  of  their  wishes, 
which  Manuelo  was  unable  to  controvert  without  great  danger 
of  giving  offense  and  at  the  same  time  of  forfeiting  his  standing 
among  them  as  a  prophet. 

The  circumstances  attending  his  early  appearance  in  their 
country,  his  wounding  included,  and  not  forgetting  the  nursing 
received  at  their  hands,  were  such  as  to  justify  this  claim. 
They  knew,  almost  as  well  as  himself,  that  the  country  from 
which  he  had  come  in  a  great  ship,  must  be  reached  again  in 
the  same  manner,  if  at  all.  They  argued  with  a  shrewdness 
becoming  a  race  of  the  highest  intelligence,  that  his  allegiance 
to  them  was  more  binding  than  to  any  other  community  with 
which  they  were  acquainted.  Moreover,  the  exceedingly  dis 
tressed  condition,  more  than  half  naked,  and  starved,  which 
marked  his  second  appearance  among  them,  and  the  relief  then 
afforded,  were  regarded  as  increasing  manifold  his  obligations 
to  them. 


134  CALIFORNIA 

In  all  this,  as  Justino  argued,  they  were  right,  for  Manuelo 
was  really  indebted  to  these  good  Yonos  to  the  extent  of  a  life 
twice  preserved,  and  for  ten  thousand  acts  of  kindness  besides. 
But  his  biographer  might  have  remembered  that  a  man  is  not 
always  responsible  for  a  roaming  disposition.  So  far  as  born 
in  him,  his  parents  are  chargeable  with  it,  as  they  were  in  Man- 
uelo's  case;  and  most  likely  also  for  his  having  been  early 
apprenticed  to  the  sea,  and  acquiring  thereby  a  bent,  in  addi 
tion  to  his  natural  tastes,  for  fresh  scenes  and  pastures  new. 
At  all  events  it  was  utterly  impossible  just  now  to  cast  off 
this  disposition;  and  all  the  fascinations  thrown  about  him  by 
the  gentle  Yonos  could  not  overcome  his  predilection  for  the 
larger  city. 

Perfect  freedom  is  the  natural  inheritance  of  man,  and  a 
child  of  nature  as  he  was,  he  chafed  under  any  restraint 
Alluding  to  this  disposition  in  the  human  family,  Justino 
philosophically  suggested  that  a  person  confined  to  the  Old 
World  would  be  likely,  as  in  his  own  case,  to  pant  for  the  New; 
and  the  good  friar  exultingly  remarked  that  neither  the  Old  nor 
the  New  could  long  retain  him,  since  he  would  eventually 
reach  that  other  and  better  world,  where  both  himself  and 
Manuelo  had  long  since  gone  when  the  manuscript  was  dis 
covered  at  Evora. 

So  intense  had  the  dislike  of  the  priest's  son  towards  the  un 
offending  Manuelo  become  on  account  of  the  strange  infatua 
tion  of  his  young  wife,  that  he  would  gladly  have  disposed  of 
him,  if  not  by  marriage  with  Nona,  then  in  some  other  way. 

This  the  shrewd  Manuelo  understood  full  well;  and  with 
consummate  wisdom  resolved  to  avail  himself  of  that  hostil 
ity  to  aid  in  effecting  his  escape.  How,  or  in  what  particular 
manner,  he  sought  to  make  it  available,  will  be  disclosed  to  the 
reader  presently. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  135 

On  his  leaving  the  Yono  village  the  first  time  Manuelo  had 
clearly  held  forth  to  the  people  the  hope  that  he  would  some 
day  return,  and  they  had  long  continued  to  look  for  a  fulfill 
ment  of  his  promise,  wondering  at  his  delay.  Nona,  whose 
betrothal  to  him  ever  stood  in  the  way  of  her  engagement  to 
another,  not  only  mourned  his  departure,  but  continued 
secretly  to  pine  over  his  prolonged  absence.  In  her  sadness 
she  was  accustomed  to  seek  consolation  in  solitude,  and  was 
actually  wandering  about  in  the  woods,  stricken  with  sorrow,  at 
the  very  time  she  was  so  unceremoniously  accosted  by  him. 
She  had  been  quietly  communing  with  the  spirits  before  her 
surprise,  and  was  afterwards  convinced,  as  were  also  the  priests 
of  the  tribe,  that  his  coming  in  the  manner  he  did  and  at  that 
particular  moment  was  providential,  and  it  certainly  bore  that 
appearance.  The  good  Father  Justino  was  inclined  to  look 
upon  it  in  the  same  light;  and  even  the  young  friars  of  Evora, 
three  hundred  years  later,  could  not  contemplate  the  event  with 
out  a  great  deal  of  astonishment,  wondering  that  a  kind  Provi 
dence  could  show  so  much  consideration  for  nothing  but  a  poor 
heathen  maiden.  After  much  discussion  the  matter  was  finally 
left  undetermined  by  the  authorities  of  the  church,  and  anyone 
is  therefore  now  at  liberty  to  form  an  opinion  thereon  for  him 
self. 

With  the  same  degree  of  shrewdness  that  had  marked  the 
conduct  of  Manuelo  on  other  occasions,  he  now  turned  this 
circumstance  of  his  sudden  appearance  among  the  Yonos  the 
second  time  to  good  account,  by  reminding  them  himself  of 
his  former  promise,  and  assuring  the  people  with  utmost  cool 
ness  that  his  parting  words  to  them  had  never  been  forgotten. 
He  deceitfully  told  them  that  his  coming  now  was  in  pursuance 
of  the  promise  made  at  the  time  of  his  departure  before. 
Owing  undoubtedly  to  the  great  distress  of  mind  under  which 
the  poor  man  was  laboring,  in  consequence  of  the  unwarranta 
ble  restraint  imposed  upon  him,  he  summoned  courage  to  assure 


136  CALIFORNIA 

the  thoughtless  Yonos,  that,  but  for  that  promise,  he  would 
never  have  abandoned  the  Modens  as  he  did,  nor  undertaken 
that  long  and  perilous  journey  by  the  sea  and  Hot  Sulphur 
Springs  to  reach  their  village.  He  impressed  upon  these  con 
fiding  people  the  idea  that  if  he  was  ever  compelled  to  leave 
their  midst  again,  his  absence  would-be  but  temporary,  and 
that  any  departure  from  them  would  be  accompanied  with  the 
utmost  reluctance  on  his  part. 

By  this  sort  of  strategy,  these  people  were  so  far  deluded  as 
to  yield  in  some  degree  their  determination  to  prevent-  his  de 
parture,  and  from  that  hour  he  was  hopeful  of  being  able  to 
extricate  himself  from  the  dilemma. 

To  the  son  of  the  high  priest,  who  was  all  the  more  bitterly 
hostile  toward  Manuelo  from  having  once  been  his  warmest 
friend,  he  cautiously  conveyed  the  impression  that  he  was  called 
away  from  their  village  on  pressing  business  which  might  de 
tain  him  a  long  time.  All  that  was  thus  hinted  to  the  young 
brave  was  strictly  true  except  as  to  the  matter  of  business,  and 
even  that  was  not  without  a  shadow  of  foundation  if  we  only 
consider  an  extremely  serious  case  of  love  in  that  light.  To 
Manuelo  certainly  it  appeared  to  be  business  of  the  gravest 
concern;  but  it  was  at  the  same  time  of  a  nature  not  to  be  dis 
closed  to  the  Yonos,  on  account  of  his  constrained  relations 
with  one  of  their  number. 

LV. 

STRATEGY! 

THERE  is  a  French  proverb,  also  sometimes  rendered  in 
Spanish,  which  declares  that  "  the  unexpected  is  what  usually 
happens,"  and  the  converse  of  this  maxim,  which  would  be,  in 
effect,  that  "  what  is  expected  rarely  occurs,"  is  equally  true. 
Both  the  proverb  and  its  antithesis  were  amply  verified  in  this 
part  of  our  history. 

Manuelo  felt  confident,  from  the  impression  produced  upon 


350  YEARS  AGO.  137 

the  minds  of  the  leading  men  of  the  village  by  his  fabricated 
account  of  the  manner  and  object  of  his  coming  among  them  a 
second  time,  that  he  could,  by  the  exercise  of  a  due  amount  of 
prudence,  easily  effect  his  exit  from  their  midst;  but  in  this  calcu 
lation  he  was  reckoning  without  his  host;  he  was  surely  mistaken, 
and  in  this  was  the  converse  of  the  proverb  verified.  The  prov 
erb  itself  was  as  well  supported  by  the  unexpected  opposition 
he  met  with,  not  from  the  timid  Nona  herself,  directly,  but  from 
her  female  relatives. 

The  anxiety  of  the  poor  girl,  growing  out  of  the  suggested 
departure  of  Manuelo — for  the  rumor  of  his  going  had  already 
spread  like  wild- fire — was,  of  course,  greater  than  that  of  any 
one  else,  and  why  not,  since  she  was  the  party  most  deeply 
concerned  in  the  matter  ?  But  her  situation  as  an  expectant 
bride  forbade  her  to  make  much  ado  about  it ;  not  so,  how 
ever,  with  her  friends ;  they  were  under  no  such  restraint,  and 
their  tongues,  in  the  case,  were  let  loose. 

Being  entirely  free  to  express  their  opinions  about  the  busi 
ness,  they  indulged  in  that  liberty  to  the  fullest  extent.  With 
true  feminine  sagacity  they  had  foreseen  a  determination  on 
the  part  of  Manuelo  to  evade  his  supposed  duty  towards  their 
modest  kinswoman,  and  they  were  duly  indignant.  This 
impression  regarding  his  purpose  was  inflamed  by  their  memory 
of  his  palpable  evasiveness  on  a  former  occasion,  and  now 
again  by  his  unaccountable  coldness  towards  his  betrothed,  as 
was  clearly  manifested  after  the  first  few  interviews  on  his 
second  arrival  in  the  village.  Their  conclusion  that  he  wished 
to  desert  her,  or,  at  least,  to  escape  the  performance  of  his 
duty ,,  was  strengthened  by  the  well-known  fact  of  his  being  the 
recipient  of  courtesies  from  the  wife  of  his  former  friend. 

Manuelo  could  not  but  notice  the  difference  in  sentiment 
between  the  immediate  friends  of  the  two  women,  and  it  puz 
zled  him  to  account  for  the  same.  The  kindred  on  the  side  of 
the  demonstrative  wife,  flattered,  it  may  have  been,  by  the  par- 


138  CALIFORNIA 

tiality  of  so  distinguished  a  person,  were  full  of  expressions  of 
sympathy  and  friendship  for  Manuelo,  while  those  on  the  part 
of  the  proposed  bride  were  boiling  over  with  resentment. 

Viewing  the  matter  in  the  light  of  passing  events,  Manuelo 
concluded,  and  so  informed  Justino,  that  it  was  far  more  diffi 
cult  to  effect  an  abandonment  of  the  one  than  it  would  have 
been  to  elope  with  the  other,  for  the  latter  alternative  was 
actually  suggested,  and  aid  tendered,  should  he  feel  inclined  to 
undertake  so  desperate  a  step.  But  however  deceitful  Man 
uelo  may  have  been  in  some  things,  he  was  not  base  enough 
to  listen  with  equanimity  to  a  proposition  of  this  sort.  It 
aroused  within  him  a  feeling  of  indignation  which  he  could  with 
difficulty  suppress ;  but  under  the  stress  of  circumstances  he 
managed  to  pass  over  the  suggestion  in  silence,  regarding  it 
merely  as  the  emanation  of  a  weak  brain,  or  as  a  proposition 
coming  from  over-zealous  friends. 

These  complications  springing,  as  they  did,  mainly  from 
the  families  of  the  parties,  gave  Manuelo  more  trouble  than 
everything  else  that  occurred  during  his  stay  with  the  Yonos. 
However  cunningly  he  devised  his  schemes,  and  however  suc 
cessful  he  may  have  been  in  deluding  the  men,  he  found  it 
quite  impossible,  by  the  use  of  similar  means,  to  deceive  the 
women.  In  affairs  of  the  heart  he  observed  they  were  capable 
of  reading  his  very  thoughts.  Whether  in  the  exercise  of  this 
faculty  these  Yono  women  depended  upon  supernatural  assist 
ance  or  not  he  remained  in  doubt  to  the  end  of  his  days. 
Owing  to  their  remarkable  shrewdness  in  such  matters,  it  was 
in  vain  that  he  sought  to  suppress  his  fears  lest  he  should  be 
compelled  at  last  to  settle  down  among  them  and  take  upon 
himself  all  the  duties  imposed  by  their  curious  laws. 

In  this  emergency  he  bethought  himself,  as  a  last  resort,  to 
intrust  his  cause  to  the  generosity  of  his  former  friend,  the 
high  priest's  son,  who  had  already  been  furnished  with  the 
secret  of  his  pretended  business  over  the  waters.  Such  an 


350  YEARS  AGO.  139 

appeal  to  one's  bitterest  enemy  was  an  experiment  of  doubtful 
nature,  at  best,  but  it  was  one  for  which  Manuelo  could  discover 
no  alternative. 

.With  this  determination  in  mind  he  sought  the  young  man, 
and  plainly  and  candidly  laid  before  him  his  wishes,  at  the 
same  time  promising  most  faithfully  that  in  the  event  of  his  get 
ting  safely  away,  nothing  on  earth  would  ever  induce  him  to 
return. 

The  plan  was  well  conceived,  and  the  step  wisely  taken.  It 
disclosed  in  its  author  a  larger  degree  of  intelligence  than  could 
have  been  supposed  to  belong  to  a  person  of  his  limited  edu 
cation.  Although  Manuelo's  mind  was  not  stored  with  knowl 
edge  in  very  great  variety,  his  judgment  was  generally  sound 
and  his  genius  equal  to  any  emergency.  Learning  does  not 
always  imply  wisdom,  nor  ignorance  of  books  the  want  of 
mental  ability.  Education  is  but  the  polish  that  is  bestowed 
upon  the  marble,  the  labor  of  the  sculptor  being  sometimes  ex 
pended  in  vain  upon  the  coarsest  of  granite,  whilst  the  finest  of 
stones  may  never  have  felt  the  artist's  chisel. 

A  man,  continued  Justino,  may  be  intellectual,  and  at  the 
same  time  ignorant;  he  may  be  intelligent,  and  yet  wofully 
wanting  in  wisdom. 

Manuelo's  proposition  was  as  pleasing  to  the  priest's  son  as  its 
cordial  acceptance  by  him  was  gratifying  to  Manuelo  himself, 
and  accordingly  it  was  arranged  between  them  that  on  the  very 
first  day  of  a  favorable  wind,  the  two  would  set  out  on  a  fishing 
excursion  and  tak^  all  the  chances  of  being  blown  away  in  the 
direction  of  the  Santos  settlement.  But  the  wind  they  desired 
did  not  soon  arise,  and  their  long-continued  detention  became 
terribly  annoying  to  both. 

It  is  declared  to  be  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good,  and 
the  winds  now  prevailing  were  thought  to  be  precisely  of  that 
character;  not  so,  however,  would  they  have  been  pronounced 
had  the  betrothed  of  the  one,  or  the  wife  of  the  other,  been 


140  CALIFORNIA 

consulted,  either  of  whom,  had  she  known  what  was  transpiring 
behind  her  back,  would  have  been  more  than  delighted  with  the 
adverse  breezes.  Both  women  were  resting  in  ignorance  of  the 
plot  that  was  hatching  on  their  account,  though  doubtless  some 
thing  would  have  been  suspected  had  they  but  been  familiar 
with  the  fable  of  the  "  Dog  and  the  Wolf,"  which,  as  it  is 
related,  were  seen  traveling  together  to  attack  the  sheep-fold; 
the  moral  of  which  is  that  "  when  old  enemies  are  observed  to 
go  hand  in  hand,  there  is  always  some  mischief  between." 

The  mischief  to  be  accomplished  in  this  case  was  the  aban: 
donment  forever,  by  Manuelo,  of  the  Yono  village,  which  it 
was  known  would  prove  as  distasteful  to  the  pretty  spouse  of 
the  priest's  son  as  to  the  modest  Nona  herself.  But  the  ene.- 
mies  now,  unlike  the  dog  and  the  wolf,  were  seen  but  little  in 
each  other's  society,  and  suspicion  against  them  was  not  aroused. 

LVI. 

NEGLECT. 

IT  was  clearly  the  duty  of  the  sprightly  priests  of  Evora  to 
give  the  manuscript  such  rendition  throughout  as  was  intended 
by  Father  Justino,  even  though  at  the  cost,  to  them,  of  a  little 
more  labor  and  trouble.  Having  voluntarily  taken  upon  them 
selves  the  task  of  deciphering  it,  there  could  be  no  excuse  for 
men  of  their  leisure  and  scholarly  attainments  omitting  from 
the  scroll  any  feature  which  could  have  been  preserved  by  dili 
gent  work,  and  yet  it  is  undeniable  that,  though  bound  by  their 
sacred  calling  to  the  faithful  discharge  of  every  obligation,  they 
have,  at  times,  in  imitation  of  the  rest  of  mankind,  sought 
to  glide  over  the  labor  before  them  in  the  easiest  man 
ner  possible,  and  have  actually  neglected,  for  large  spaces  in 
the  work,  to  follow  the  style  of  composition  adopted  in  the 
original.  But  at  this  stage  of  the  translation,  conscience- 
stricken,  it  is  presumed,  they  essayed  to  repair,  as  far  as  possible, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  HI 

the  injustice  inflicted  upon  Justino  in  departing  from  the  man 
ner  of  his  writing. 

It  is  not,  however,  charged  upon  the  good  monks  that  the 
injury  to  the  author  was  intentional;  on  the  contrary,  their 
neglect  is  attributed  to  mere  inadvertence  in  giving  in  plain 
prose  what  should  have  been  transmitted  in  verse.  But  if  they 
are  successful  in  the  future  all  should  be  willing  to  forgive 
them,  and  the  charity  of  the  reader  is  earnestly  invoked  in  their 
behalf. 

LVII. 

PROLOGUE. 

SO  certain  am  I  that  'tis  best  to  be 

Correct  in  what  pertains  to  history, 

That  greatest  pains  to  this  time  have  been  taken 

In  order  that  I  might  not  be  mistaken 

In  any  of  the  more  important  facts 

Relating  to  the  thoughts,  and  words,  and  acts 

Of  the  bold  sailor  boy,  Manuelo, 

When  living,  some  three  hundred  years  ago, 

In  that  strange  land  which  at  a  later  day 

Became  so  widely  known  as  California. 

For  this  I  am  entitled  to  some  praise, 

Since,  beyond  question,  there  were  many  ways 

In  which  to  have  portrayed  both  thought  and  action, 

And  easier  to  have  given  satisfaction. 

But  that  is  not  my  way;  I  like  much  more 

Than  plaudits,  truth,  as  I  have  said  before. 

To  deal  in  fiction  is  a  great  mistake 

For  anyone  in  writing  history  to  make, 

But  difference  wide  there  is  betwixt  mere  fiction 

And  what  is  in  the  nature  of  prediction  ; 

Sometimes,  indeed,  events  have  been  foretold 

By  authors  who  have  been  a  little  bold, 

And  such  events  have  proved  to  be  as  true 

As  anything  that  people  ever  knew. 

Prognostications  that  have  come  about, 


142  CALIFORNIA 

Or  prophecies,  so  called,  that  have  turned  out 
To  be  correct,  and  have  been  verified, 
Have  far  more  wonder  caused  than  all  beside. 
These  have  astonished  people  more  by  far 
Than  what  has  written  been  of  peace  or  war. 
A  taste  there  seems  to  be  in  man  for  that 
Which  is  abstruse  and  hardest  to  get  at, 
Hence  puzzles,  such  as  thirteen,  fifteen,  fourteen, 
And  games  of  chess  and  twenty-one  have  been 
Greatly  in  vogue,  causing  much  waste  of  time 
In  every  age,  and  almost  every  clime. 
This  strange  propensity  in  man  is  my 
Excuse,  and  is,  perhaps,  the  reason  why 
I  shall  incorporate  in  this  new  book 
A  story  which  at  first  may  seem  to  look 
As  if  it  had  no  base  to  stand  upon, 
Whereas  it  has,  in  fact,  an  excellent  one. 
This  much  I  say  at  start,  and  now  here  goes, 
But  where  the  end  will  be  no  mortal  knows. 

While  waiting  for  propitious  winds  to  blow, 

The  man  whose  wife  so  loved  Manuelo, 

Proposed  a  trip  inland  in  search  of  game; 

And  going  far  southwest  at  last  they  came 

Close  by  a  mountain  which  was  very  high, 

And  which  the  Indians  called  Mount  Tamalpais. 

Observing  that  their  path  upon  it  tended, 

The  hunters  this  tall  mountain  then  ascended. 

When  to  its  lofty  summit  they  did  climb, 

A  sight  at  once  broke  on  them  most  sublime. 

Manuelo  with  the  view  was  overcome, 

The  others  with  astonishment  were  dumb. 

Mountains  they  saw  that  looked  down  on  the  Bay; 

A  hundred  vales  spread  out  before  them  lay. 

A  sight  like  this  not  one  of  them  had  seen, 

For  none  had  ever  on  that  mountain  been. 

Oppressed,  our  prophet  sank  upon  the  ground, 

Nor  heed  took  he  of  anything  around. 

Just  then  there  came  up  from  the  neighboring  brake, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  143 

And  near  him  coiled,  a  monstrous  rattlesnake.* 
Even  this  disturbed  not  his  dream  that  day 
For  his  prophetic  thoughts  were  far  away. 

LVIII. 

A  DREAM. 

IN  the  distant  future,  coming  from  the  sea, 

Great  ships  he  saw,  a  thousand  it  might  be; 

All  kinds  there  were,  as  sloop,  and  brig,  and  bark, 

And  some,  he  thought,  as  large  as  Noah's  ark. 

From  different  lands  they  came,  and  flags  they  bore; 

Some  spread  all  sails,  and  some  the  aft  and  fore. 

What  was  remarkable,  and  strange  did  seem, 

A  few  appeared  to  be  propelled  by  steam; 

At  least  from  midships  he  could  see  arise 

A  cloud  of  smoke,  ascending  to  the  skies; 

A  wheel  on  either  side  was  turning  fast; 

Their  yards  were  small,  as  was,  likewise,  the  mast; 

They  were  without  jib-boom;  their  hulls  were  long, 

And,  though  trim  built,  they  still  were  very  strong. 

Their  bows  straight  up  and  down,  were  like  a  blade 

Slender  and  sharp,  to  cut  the  water  made; 

Their  sterns  were  like  another  ship,  or  brig, 

But  in  all  else  they  had  a  different  rig; 

Unlike  the  ships  with  which  he  was  acquainted, 

While  those  were  white,  these  all  quite  black  were  painted. 

Propelled  by  fire,  or  smoke,  or  power  within — 

P'or  steamer  at  that  time  had  not  been  seen — 

Was  to  his  vision  something  strange  indeed. 

He  saw  them  move  along  with  greater  speed 

Than  ships  with  all  sails  set  and  wind  astern; 

And  to  their  crews  it  was  of  no  concern 

Which  way  the  tides  might  tend,  or  winds  might  blow, 

*In  the  original  Portuguese  it  is  enorme  calebra,  venino^  which  means  an  immense 
poisonous  serpent.  Availing  myself  of  the  license  that  clearly  belongs  to  me,  as  trans 
lator,  I  have  called  it  a  "monstrous  rattlesnake,"  and  such,  in  very  truth,  it  doubtless 
was,  since  no  other  poisonous  serp  -nts  infest  Mount  Tamalpais.  Future  excursionists 
going  there  to  verify  the  correctness  of  this  narrative,  are  warned  to  be  cttrcf^l  ie»t  they 
should  be  bitten  by  these  venomous  reptiles. 


144  CALIFORNIA 

For  they  against  both  tide  and  wind  would  go. 
All  other  vessels  they  would  leave  behind, 
Though  sailing  with  a  favorable  wind, 
And  dashing  through  the  ocean's  troubled  wave, 
A  line  of  long,  white  foam  these  ships  would  leave. 
To  him  they  seemed  like  some  enormous  creature 
Of  which  he  could  not  comprehend  the  nature. 

When  in  the  Bay  the  anchor  was  run  out, 

From  all  on  board  uprose  a  deafening  shout, 

So  loud  that  all  the  hills  for  leagues  around 

The  cheering  heard,  and  echoed  back  the  sound; 

At  the  same  time  a  bell  on  board  was  rung, 

A  bell  as  large  as  in  cathedral  hung; 

And  from  midships,  caused  by  a  jet  of  steam, 

Came  forth  a  sound  which  was  not  quite  a  scream, 

Nor  whistle  was  it,  but  more  like  a  screech, 

And  far  and  wide  this  fearful  sound  would  reach. 

To  Manuelo  this  was  all  so  new 

That  he  was  much  in  doubt  what  he  should  do ; 

Whether  he  should  narrate  or  close  his  lips, 

So  far  as  it  concerned  this  kind  of  ships. 

He  feared  Justino  might  discredit  all 

On  hearing  what  was  so  improbable; 

For  this  strange  dream,  or  vision,  as  you  know, 

Occurred  three  hundred  years,  and  more,  ago. 

But  happily  for  all  he  did  not  fear 

To  tell  what  then  was  strange,  but  now  is  clear. 

The  ships  of  every  kind  when  coming  in 

He  could  but  notice  were  all  filled  with  men; 

And  those  that  seemed  to  be  propelled  by  smoke, 

From  stern  to  stern  were  black  with  moving  folk. 

The  other  ships,  besides  the  men  on  board, 

Between  decks  had  of  tools  and  food  a  hoard; 

Likewise  some  strange  machines,  formed  like  the  crib 

In  which  he  had  been  rocked  while  yet  a  babe: 

Though  larger  some  were  like  a  coffee  mill, 

And  others  not  described  were  stranger  still. 

But  not  a  plow,  nor  scythe,  nor  sickle  bright, 

Was  there  on  board,  nor  anywhere  in  sight; 

Nor  was  there  wheel  nor  loom,  nor  fork  nor  rake. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  145 

To  gather  grain,  nor  knives  the  flax  to  break. 

No  implements  of  any  kind  were  there 

To  make  what  people  need  for  use  or  wear. 

The  tools  they  had  were  bar,  and  pick,  and  spade, 

And  many  others  very  oddly  made. 

The  food  provided  them,  and  stored  below, 

It  was  of  all  the  kinds  that  ever  grow. 

The  greater  part,  if  he  was  not  mistaken, 

Consisted  of  hard-tack,  and  beans,  and  bacon. 

Codfish  was  also  there,  and  apples  dried, 

And  fruit  in  cans  preserved,  and  jars  beside. 

There  was  provided,  likewise,  for  their  drink, 

Most  everything  of  which  mankind  could  think; 

But  for  some  reason,  none  could  tell  just  why, 

There  was  a  great  preponderance  of  old  rye; 

But  many  of  them  thought  it  would  be  handy 

To  have  along  a  little  drop  of  brandy. 

Of  books,  also,  they  had  each  man  a  few; 

But  most  of  these  were  novels,  old  or  new; 

For  works  of  history  they  did  not  care, 

Andy.such,  like  poets'  works,  were  very  rare, 

But,  strange  to  say,  among  so  many  men 

There  was  a  Bible  only  now  and  then, 

And  as  to  books  of  psalms,  and  books  of  prayer, 

And  like  religious  works,  not  one  was  there. 

But  pictures  each  man  had  of  friends  at  home; 

Of  cards,  and  such  like  things,  each  one  had  some. 

While  reading  claimed  but  little  their  attention 

I  think,  in  passing,  I  may  just  make  mention 

That  games  of  dice  and  chance  they  all  would  play, 

And  spend  at  these  a  good  part  of  each  day. 

These  people  came  from  every  land  on  earth, 
From  melting  tropics,  and  from  frozen  North, 
From  Europe,  and  from  South  America, 
From  Mexico,  and  from  far-off  Cathay, 
From  Sandwich  Islands,  and  from  South  Pacific, 
From  England,  and  from  Ireland  most  prolific, 
From  Cuba,  and  from  Africa  they  came, 
And  other  places  that  he  could  not  name; 
But  Sonoranians,  I  must  not  forget, 

10 


146  CALIFORNIA 

Nor  those  who  were  called  Sidney-ducks,  nor  yet 

The  dark  Chileno,  who,  not  given  to  roam, 

Among  them  acted  as  if  coming  home. 

Among  the  throng  were  mixed  both  good  and  bad; 

The  many  happy  seemed,  but  some  were  sad, 

As  if  they  might  have  been  weighed  down  with  care; 

But  all  were  hopeful,  and  none  in  despair. 

These  men  appeared  to  be  all  very  young, 

And  some  of  them  exceedingly  high-strung. 

There  were  of  women  'mongst  them  almost  none, 

Or  only  now  and  then  a  single  one; 

But  she  was  held  in  very  great  respect, 

As  gallant  Manuel  did  recollect. 

The  men,  in  fact,  all  seemed  to  worship  woman, 

As  if  she  might  be  something  more  than  human. 

Their  adoration,  praises,  and  affection 

All  seemed  to  center  in  that  one  direction. 

Woman- worship,  to  his  prophetic  view, 

Was  the  religion  of  each  single  crew — 

Not  as  a  goddess,  as  Diana  was 

Worshiped,  in  ancient  times,  but  without  cause 

These  women  that  he  saw  were  thus  revered — 

A  species  of  idolatry  he  feared. 

But  women,  after  all,  he  was  compelled 

To  admit,  in  every  land  and  age  are  held 

In  high  esteem  by  men  of  real  sense; 

A  brutal  man  alone  will  give  offense 

To  gentle  woman,  nor  is  it  profanation 

To  treat  them  as  the  best  thing  in  creation. 

To  think  them  goddesses  may  not  be  well, 

But  angels  they  appeared  to  Manuel; 

At  least  Alola  so  appeared  to  him, 

And  more  than  angel  sometimes  she  did  seem. 

He  did  not  worship  her,  but  did  adore, 

And  worshiping,  in  fact,  is  little  more. 

So  when  he  blamed  the  men  that  came  in  ships, 

He  was  himself  condemned  by  his  own  lips. 

Of  children  'mongst  them  all  not  one  was  there, 
No  bright-eyed  boy,  or  little  maiden  fair; 


350  YEARS  AGO.  H7 

No  infant  at  the  breast,  or  in  the  arms 
Of  nurse,  beguiled  those  present  with  the  charms 
Of  its  sweet  prattle,  or  upon  the  throng 
Bestowed  its  smiles,  or  with  its  chirpy  song 
Inspired  the  men  with  those  kind  sentiments 
Which  always  flow  towards  those  innocents. 
How  this  amidst  so  large  a  crowd  could  be 
Good  Manuel  could  not  exactly  see; 
But  then  this  was,  as  you,  kind  reader,  know, 
Three  hundred  years  and  more  than  that  ago, 
That  he  was  looking  with  prophetic  eye 
Not  at  what  was,  but  would  be  by  and  by. 

LIX. 

THE  PLAINS. 

AS  Moses  from  Mount  Pisgah  viewed  the  land, 

So  Manuelo,  from  his  more  lofty  stand 

On  Tamalpais,  next  eastward  bent  his  gaze, 

And  there  a  most  inexplicable  maze 

Arose  before  his  much  astonished  vision, 

Which  may  be  now  described  with  much  precision. 

There  lay  stretched  out  a  plain  of  vast  extent, 

On  which  his  mind  in  prophecy  was  bent, 

And  in  the  distant  future  he  could  see, 

Approaching,  objects  which  first  seemed  to  be 

Like  the  small  ants,  which,  moving  in  a  row 

From  place  to  place,  enlined,  in  order  go, 

Each  on  his  work  intent,  and  making  haste, 

Lest  he  should  suffer  of  his  time  some  waste. 

While  yet  he  gazed  these  objects  larger  grew, 

And  all  before  his  sight  came  full  in  view. 

He  saw  a  force,  a  hundred  thousand  strong, 

In  fifties  and  in  hundreds  move  along. 

Of  this  great  army  there  was  none  to  lead, 

Nor  did  they  of  each  other  take  much  heed- 

There  was  no  order  in  the  march  maintained, 

And  when  one  fell  behind  he  there  remained. 

No  care  was  there  observed  for  one  another  ; 

Friend  would  neglect  his  friend,  and  brother,  brother. 


148  CALIFORNIA 

"  The  devil  take  the  hindmost,"  was  the  law 
With  all  that  troop,  which  on  the  plains  he  saw. 
The  men  were  armed  with  pistols,  guns,  and  knives, 
As  if  they  might  be  fearful  of  their  lives. 
They  seemed  to  have  no  certain  kind  of  dress; 
Though  Manuelo  somehow  did  confess 
That  white  felt  hats,  and  pants  and  coat  and  vest 
Of  butternut,  prevailed  above  the  rest. 
He  thought  he  noticed  also  one  thing  more; 
That  hickory  shirts  most  commonly  they  wore. 
There  may  have  been  a  few  who  did  not  wear 
The  hickory  shirt,  but  they  were  very  rare. 
The  only  thing  they  wore  that  had  been  white 
Was  the  slodch  hat,  and  that  was  not  so,  quite. 
They  slept  upon  the  ground,  or  dry,  or  wet, 
And  were,  upon  the  whole,  a  filthy  set 
Of  curs;  but  he  could  see  they  once  had  been 
As  clean  as  anybody  he  had  seen. 
Although  they  marched  by  day,  and  camped  by  night, 
And  were  prepared  at  any  time  to  fight, 
And  though  well  armed,  as  he  could  plainly  see, 
And  all  were  men,  it  was  not  an  army, 
Except  in  numbers      Their  arms  were  for  defense 
Against  some  secret   unseen  foe,  but  whence 
Such  enemy  might  come  did  not  appear, 
For  there  was  none  in  front  and  none  in  rear. 
The  line  was  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  length, 
And  if  attacked  it  would  have  shown  no  strength. 
While  scattered  as  they  were,  so  near  and  far, 
He  judged  they  could  not  be  intending  war. 
Still  on  some  object  they  appeared  intent, 
And  vexed  was  he  to  know  what  it  all  meant. 
Some  were  on  mule-back,  some  on  horses  rode, 
A  few  on  asses  mounted  were,  and  many  strode 
Along  on  foot,  and  besides  arms  bore  heavy  packs, 
And  large  enough  almost  to  break  their  backs. 
There  were,  besides  all  these,  long  wagon  trains, 
All  covered  in  to  shield  them  from  the  rains. 
The  covers  were  of  whitest  canvas  made, 
And  when  not  moving  looked  like  tents,  he  said. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  149 

Some  wagons  were  by  horses  drawn,  but  most 

By  oxen,  and  of  these  there  were  a  host. 

Of  trains  of  pack-mules  there  were  likewise  many, 

And  these  were  quickest  on  the  march  of  any. 

These  trains  would  sometimes  leave  the  rest  behind; 

But  this  the  others  did  not  seem  to  mind. 

The  wagons  laden  were  with  every  kind 

Of  article  of  which  the  human  mind 

Could  possibly  conceive,  to  eat,  or  wear. 

Salt  pork,  and  beef,  and  flour,  and  beans  were  there; 

All  sorts  of  household  goods,  and  beds  and  clothes, 

And  drinks  of  what  description  no  one  knows. 

They  were  of  kinds  quite  new  to  Justino, 

When  writing  of  them  centuries  ago; 

No  doubt  their  names  familiar  are  at  present, 

As  drinks  that  are  to  some  so  very  pleasant. 

Sometimes  the  teams  were  stalled  by  too  much  load, 
And  then  the  men  would  freely  ply  the  goad, 
And  if  in  mire  the  wheels  were  sunk,  would  yell 
And  curse  and  swear  like  fiends  let  loose  from  sheol. 
Then  the  poor  oxen  to  their  work  would  spring, 
And  from  the  mire  the  loaded  wagons  bring. 

The  rivers  on  the  route  were  hard  to  cross, 

And  this  resulted  sometimes  in  the  loss 

Of  wagons,  horses,  mules,  and  even  men, 

Borne  down,  were  lost,  and  never  seen  again. 

And  mountains  also  had  to  be  ascended, 

As  on  their  westward  winding  way  they  wended. 

One  range  to  him  so  full  of  rocks  appeared 

That  looking  at  it  long  he  greatly  feared 

That  over  it  a  pass  might  not  be  found, 

And  that  the  trains  would  have  to  turn  around, 

And  from  that  point  their  weary  steps  retrace; 

But  through  its  rocky  files  they  found  a  pass, 

And  onward  a  more  crooked  route  did  take, 

Until  they  came  down  to  a  great  salt  lake. 

Here  to  the  army  was  a  great  surprise, 

And  they  could  not,  at  first,  believe  their  eyes, 

For  men  and  many  women  found  they  here, 

With  customs  and  religion  very  queer. 


150  CALIFORNIA 

It  seemed  each  man  was  blessed  with  several  wives, 

A  thing  they  had  not  seen  in  all  their  lives. 

Prophet  had  these,  but  this  was  nothing  new, 

For  Manuelo  was  a  prophet  too. 

With  plural  wives,  these  men  lived  in  seclusion, 

In  order  that  there  might  be  less  confusion. 

Their  children,  were  it  not  for  some  such  care, 

Might  not  know  surely  who  their  fathers  were  ; 

And  hence  it  was  a  prudent  step  to  take, 

To  come  and  settle  by  this  great  salt  lake. 

At  this  point  then  there  was  a  village  only, 

And  as  to  all  the  world  it  was  quite  lonely. 

But  Manuelo  with  prophetic  view 

Observed,  while  looking,  that  the  village  grew, 

And,  as  it  were,  before  his  very  eyes 

He  saw  a  city  of  great  wealth  arise, 

Built  by  the  people  whom  the  army  met, 

And  who,  for  aught  now  known,  may  be  there  yet. 

They  lived  by  farming  and  by  cattle  breeding, 

Little  getting  from  abroad,  and  little  needing. 

The  men,  and  possibly  the  women  too, 

Contented  were,  until  at  last  right  through 

Their  settlement  a  road  of  iron  was  run 

A  thing  which  much  against  their  wish  was  done. 

This  road  of  iron  to  Manuelo's  view, 

Like  ships  propelled  by  steam,  was  something  new. 

No  explanation  of  it  could  he  find, 

And  to  the  last  it  much  perplexed  his  mind. 

In  modern  times  the  wonder  is  dispelled  ; 

But  he  three,  hundred  years  ago  was  held 

Spell-bound,  when,  gazing  with  a  prophet's  eye, 

He  saw  long  trains  of  cars  go  whizzing  by. 

But  what  impressed  him  as  most  strange  of  all, 

And  was  to  him  most  unaccountable, 

Was  the  great  speed  with  which  they  seemed  to  glide 

Over  the  plain,  along  the  mountain-side, 

Through  deep  ravines,  along  the  tops  of  ridges, 

Through  tunnels  in  the  hills,  and  over  bridges. 

They  seemed,  he  said,  to  his  prophetic  eye, 

To  move  as  fast,  at  least,  as  birds  could  fly. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  151 

Not  as  the  lazy  gull,  or  sluggish  crow, 
But  swift,  indeed,  as  swiftest  bird  could  go. 
The  sparrow-hawk  unleashed  and  in  full  chase, 
Of  fleet-winged  whip-poor-will,  or  when  the  race 
Was  with  the  dove,  or  with  the  purple  pigeon, 
Or  when  in  hot  pursuit  of  lark  or  widgeon, 
Did  not  more  swiftly  cleave  the  ambient  air 
Than  on  this  iron  rail  did  speed  the  car. 

In  every  coach  could  sixty  people  ride, 
And  if  they  chose  some  might  hang  on  outside, 
And  as  the  cars  in  each  train  numbered  ten, 
There  would  be  traveling  full  six  hundred  men. 
So  many  men  on  these  great  trains  were  carried 
That  those  at  Salt  Lake  soon  became  less  married: 
And  each  was  happy  could  he  get  but  one 
Woman  for  wife,  and  many  could  get  none. 

The  army  he  was  speaking  of  to-day, 

At  Salt  Lake  most  of  them  made  little  stay. 

They  pushed  on  further  towards  the  mighty  West, 

And  as  the  trains  appeared  upon  the  crest 

Of  the.  Sierras,  Manuelo  could  see 

What  kind  of  people  in  each  train  might  be, 

And  where  each  company  of  men  was  from, 

Or  in  what  State  was  formerly  their  home. 

Some  were  from  York,  and  some  from  the  Northwest; 

Some  came  from  Pike,  but  these  were  not  the  best; 

Some  from  Missouri  came,  and  those  drove  steers; 

Some  were  from  Michigan,  well  armed  with  spears; 

Some  were  from  New  Jersey,  known  by  their  looks, 

And  some  came  from  Cape  Cod  and  brought  fish-hooks; 

A  few  from  Maine,  they  called  it  "way  down  East," 

And  these  an  average  were,  to  say  the  least; 

Among  the  rest  that  came  were  Yankees  blue, 

Who,  from  peculiar  dialect,  he  knew. 

Then  Texans  came,  with  pistols  at  their  backs, 

And  then  Kentuckians,  riding  on  their  jacks; 

And  Arkansaw  was  next,  a  thousand  strong, 

Each  man  armed  with  a  knife  ten  inches  long. 

From  'way  down  South  some  came  along  at  last, 


152  CALIFORNIA 

Too  much  inflated  these  to  travel  fast. 

He  judged  they  might,  from  tone,  and  speech,  and  gait, 

Be  westward  bound  on  business  of  the  State; 

Having  their  slaves  along,  some  black,  some  brown: 

They  thus  appeared  to  be  men  of  renown; 

But  of  this  last  he  was  not  very  sure, 

As  some  of  them  appeared  to  be  quite  poor; 

But  what  they  lacked  in  wealth,  I  may  here  mention, 

Was  made  up  of  conceit  and  of  pretension. 

In  naming  different  people,  it  was  th'  intention 

To  speak  of  all  then  coming,  and  to  mention 

In  particular  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch, 

For,  scattered  all  along,  were  many  such. 

These  for  large  horses  were  conspicuous, 

But  in  some  "other  things  they  were  ridiculous. 

I  might  have  spoken  of  their  wagons  sooner; 

They  were  boat-like,  and  called  the  prairie  schooner. 

It  was  observed  that  when  they  camped  at  night, 

Such  was  their  greed  that  everything  in  sight 

Was  seized  and  held,  and  for  their  use  was  kept, 

And  guard  was  always  posted  while  they  slept. 

They  seemed  to^e  in  constant  dread  and  fear, 

As  if  the  Indians  might  be  somewhere  near. 

All  other  people  on  the  march  would  shun 

These  wily  Dutchmen,  and  would  from  them  run. 

When  other  men  to  right  or  left  would  go 

To  shoot  a  deer,  or  hunt  the  buffalo, 

These  men,  more  cautious,  close  to  camp  would  stay, 

Content  with  salted  meat,  and  never  stray 

From  the  plain  road,  unless  to  find  good  feed 

For  their  fat  stock,  which  seemed  their  greatest  need. 

Sometimes  the  wolves  would  come  up,  after  dark, 

And  at  their  frighted  horses  howl  and  bark; 

And  in  that  case  the  men  would  everyone 

Spring  to  his  feet  and  quickly  seize  his  gun; 

A  tumult  loud  they  then  would  institute, 

But  never  were  they  known  a  wolf  to  shoot. 

It  was  not  easy  to  discriminate 

Twixt  Suckers  and  men  from  the  Buckeye  State, 

But  if  a  nice  distinction  one  would  wish, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  153 

It  will  be  found  in  that  twixt  pork  and  fish. 

In  jeans  and  homespuns  both  of  these  took  pride, 

And  had  ambition  for  not  much  beside. 

But  they  were  sprightly  folk,  and  kind  as  well, 

And  everybody  pleased  with  whom  they  fell. 

Farmers  they  were  by  trade,  and  raising  corn 

Had  been  their  chief  business  since  they  were  born. 

The  Suckers  were  a  little  more  inclined 

To  stay  at  home,  and  their  own  business  mind 

Than  the  Buckeyes,  whose  aims,  and  hopes,  and  wishes 

Inclined  them  more  to  seek  for  loaves  and  fishes. 

But  if  they  fitness  had  for  public  places, 

It  was  not  indicated  in  their  faces. 

No  wonder,  though,  for  men  of  meanest  looks 

Sometimes  know  more  of  things  and  more  of  books 

Than  other  men  who  look  extremely  well. 

What  a  man  knows,  none  from  his  looks  can  tell. 

The  men  from  Iowa  were  like  the  last; 
And  so  from  Wisconsin,  though  not  so  fast. 
These  all  were  pretty  clever  fellows  thought, 
And  by  others  their  company  was  sought. 
In  Manuel  these  did  no  wonder  cause, 
Since,  as  observed,  it  was  among  their  laws 
To  keep  on  moving  toward  the  setting  sun, 
As  long  as  land  was  found  to  squat  upon. 
He  might  have  stated  more  about  these  men 
If  it  had  not  so  happened  that  just  then, 
While  he  observing  was  their  special  actions, 
And  what  appeared  to  be  their  chief  attractions, 
Some  Indiana  people  came  along. 
These  stalwart  Hoosiers  thought  it  nothing  wrong 
To  seize  a  horse  or  mule  when  found  astray, 
And  each  man  gained  a  number  in  that  way. 
Sometimes  this  practice  would  lead  to  a  fight, 
But  Indianians  held  that  might  was  right; 
And  stock  thus  seized  was  almost  always  kept, 
Unless  the  owner  got  it  while  they  slept. 

The  foremost  people  in  this  mighty  tramp — 

And  'mongst  whom  doubtless  there  was  many  a  scamp — 

Were  from  the  Empire  State,  the  western  part. 


154  CALIFORNIA 

With  pack-mules  these  all  came,  and  not  a  cart 
Or  wagon  had,  nor  had  they  any  tent. 
On  leading  all  the  march,  these  men  were  bent; 
They  were  amongst  themselves  a  quarrelsome  set, 
And  each  of  them  was  in  a  constant  fret 
Lest  other  trains  should  of  them  take  the  lead, 
And  use  up  all  the  drink  and  all  the  feed; 
For  on  this  march  with  all  the  chief  desire 
Was  water,  grass,  and  wood  to  make  a  fire; 
These  things  were  sought  near  which  to  pitch  the  camp, 
Throughout  the  whole  of  that  long,  weary  tramp; 
And  when  the  men  at  night  lay  down  to  rest, 
Their  dreams  were  always  stretching  further  west. 
Their  thoughts  when  sleeping  appeared  all  the  while 
To  be  concerning  something  called  a  "pi.'e," 
But  whether  it  was  precious  stones,  or  gold 
They  thought  about,  his  dream  did  not  unfold. 
He  was  quite  sure  it  was  some  sort  of  gain 
They  sought,  but  what  kind  entered  not  his  brain. 
Though  these  things  all  were  clearly  then  descried 
By  Manuel,  and  many  more  beside, 
What  by  it  all  was  meant  neither  could  he 
Nor  good  Justino  at  that  distance  see, 
And  each  of  them,  in  turn,  gave  up  the  ghost 
In  ignorance  for  what  that  mighty  host 
Of  men,  by  land  and  sea,  were  coming  here — 
A  thing  which  seems  to  us  now  very  queer. 
But  stranger  things  by  prophets  have  been  told — 
I  mean  by  those  who  spoke  in  times  of  old— 
And  people  must  not  wonder,  in  our  day, 
At  anything  which  a  true  prophet  may 
By  inspiration  have  been  led  to  say. 


LX. 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

It  was  three  hundred  years  ago  and  more — 
A  fact  which  has  been  stated  twice  before — 
When  from  Mount  Tamalpais,  Manuelo 


350  YEARS  AGO.  155 

Viewed  with  prophetic  ken  the  land  below, 

And  water,  destined,  at  a  later  day, 

To  be  "well  known  as  San  Francisco  Bay. 

That  country  then  was  all  incognito 

To  all  white  people  but  Manuelo. 

I  might,  perhaps,  except,  also,  the  crew 

Of  the  Don  Carlos,  for  they  had  been  there,  too; 

But  all  the  crew  of  that  good  ship  were  gone; 

And  since  of  them  none  ever  did  return, 

What  I  just  stated  must,  I  think,  be  so, — 

The  sole  one  living  was  Manuelo. 

The  land  itself  was  picturesque  and  wild; 

The  climate  was  most  charming,  soft  and  mild, 

And  beautiful,  just  then,  was  all  the  face 

Of  nature,  as  beheld  from  that  high  place. 

It  has  been  stated  how  he  was  impressed, 

And  part  of  what  from  that  tall  mountain-crest 

Broke  on  his  view;  how  ships  were  coming  in, 

How  vast  the  number  of  them  must  have  been; 

And  how,  by  turning  east,  he  saw  strung  out 

A  hundred  thousand  people,  all  en  route 

For  the  Pacific  slope;  and  now  we  come 

To  something  that  he  saw  much  nearer  home. 

Though  what  he  viewed  was  not  with  natural  eye, 

To  him  it  was  as  clear  in  reverie, 

As  he  lay  musing  on  the  mountain-top. 

Spread  out  there  were  before  him,  like  a  map, 

A  very  great  variety  of  things, 

Which  came  up  bold  in  his  imaginings: 

Some  that  appeared  astonishing  to  him, 

And  some  quite  unaccountable  did  seem; 

But  still  he  kept  on  dreaming,  where  he  lay, 

From  noon  till  end  of  that  long  summer  day — 

Nor  did  he  weary  in  the  contemplation 

Of  the  affairs  and  men  of  that  great  nation, 

Which  at  a  future  time  was  to  control 

All  of  America,  from  pole  to  pole. 

In  the  good  Book  we  are  most  plainly  told 
That  what  Isaiah  saw,  in  days  of  old, 


156  CALIFORNIA 

Was  all  to  his  prophetic  vision  clear, 

And  that  if  what  he  saw  had  been  quite  near 

In  point  of  time  and  space,  he  could  not  better 

Have  told  what  did  take  place;  for  to  the  letter 

Did  that  great  leader  of  the  ancient  seers 

Predict  what  would  occur  in  after  years. 

And  Manuelo  did  in  similar  way 

Foretell  what  is  transpiring  in  our  day; 

And  though  three  centuries  ago  he  spake, 

There  is  in  all  he  said  not  one  mistake. 

It  is,  perhaps,  worth  while  here  to  repeat, 

In  just  one  line,  what  then  his  eyes  did  greet. 

First  to  the  western  sea  his  thoughts  were  bent, 

Then  eastward  for  a  time  he  looked  intent; 

But  gazing  southward,  now,  across  the  Bay, 

Just  down  before  him,  and  not  far  away, 

Lay  a  large  city,  stretching  from  the  shore 

Back  westward,  over  hills  and  dales  a  score. 

This  city  was  to  him  a  great  surprise, 

For  until  now  it  had  escaped  his  eyes. 

Perhaps  a  fog  or  smoke  did  intervene, 

And  thus  prevent,  at  first,  its  being  seen. 

But  that  was  not  a  matter  of  great  weight, 

Since  all  the  city  now  was  plain  in  sight, 

So  plain,  indeed,  that  he  seemed  almost  there, 

And  in  his  vision  could  see  objects  clear. 

Some  things  were  quite  beyond  his  comprehension; 

Of  such  he  thought  it  best  to  make  no  mention; 

Of  others  that  by  him  were  understood, 

He  spoke  without  reserve,  just  as  he  should. 

Much  that  was  seen  was  so  entirely  new 

That  his  description  may  not  seem  quite  true 

In  all  particulars;  but  bear  in  mind 

That  everything  which  in  this  book  you  find 

Is  only  the  translation  ot  a  scroll 

Found,  lately,  in  a  musty  pigeon-hole 

In  the  convent  r.t  Evora,  and  when 

The  manuscript  was  found  it  must  have  been 

As  old  as  three  hundred  and  twenty  years; 

And  I  confess  I  entertain  some  fears 

That  it  was  not  entirely  genuine ; 


350  YEARS  AGO.  157 

But  this  is  certainly  no  fault  of  mine. 

My  simple  duty  to  translate  it  is, 

And  faults  in  the  original  are  his 

Who  penned  the  curious  story  at  the  start, 

And  framed  this  history  with  so  much  art. 

But  I  must  now  return  to  that  great  town 
Which  afterwards  acquired  such  just  renown 
Its  ^'harves  far  out  into  the  Bay  extended; 
Some  were  entirely  new,  and  some  were  mended; 
Others  were  broke,  and  needed  much  repair, 
And  he  observed  a  few,  he  said,  that  were 
Full  of  large  holes  through  which  men  disappeared, 
And  nothing  afterwards  of  them  was  heard. 

A  bulkhead  stretched  around  the  city  front, 

Upon  which  men  in  idleness  were  wont 

To  saunter,  stand  and  muse,  and  sometimes  ride, 

Or  hither  come,  intent  on  suicide. 

And  sometimes,  though  not  often,  women  too 

Would  seek  the  city  front  with  that  in  view. 

But  when  a  woman  jumped  into  the  water, 

A  man,  he  said,  was  always  near  and  caught  her; 

But  if  a  man  it  was  plunged  in  the  Bay,    . 

The  other  men  were  all  a  league  away; 

Perhaps,  at  last,  a  few  would  come  about, 

And  if  reward  was  offered,  fish  him  out. 

Some  streets  appeared  as  smooth  as  any  floor, 

Others  too  rough  too  travel  over  more. 

Some  were  well  paved  with  stone,  and  some  with  wood; 

The  last  were  poor,  the  former  very  good; 

That  is,  the  first,  when  paved  with  blocks  of  stone, 

And  only  when  paved  with  that  kind  alone, 

For  there  were  other  streets  laid  close  with  cobble, 

And  over  these  a  horse  could  hardly  hobble. 

These  cobble  pavements  were  so  very  rough 

The  city  soon  obtained  of  them  enough. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  pave  a  street 

With  substance  more  annoying  to  the  feet, 

And  as  the  feet  in  this  thing  were  consulted, 


158  CALIFORNIA 

And  not  the  head,  it  naturally  resulted 

In  substituting  stones,  smooth  on  one  side, 

And  over  which  men  could  with  comfort  ride. 

The  streets  that  were  with  wooden  pavement  laid, 

And  for  which  kind  the  people  always  paid 

A  good  round  price,  would  sometimes  last  a  year 

Or  two,  and  perhaps  three,  but  never  near 

So  long  as  other  kinds;  but  still  some  would 

Persist  in  saying  they  were  very  good,  * 

And  good  they  were  for  just  a  little  while; 

But  it  took  little  time  for  wood  to  spoil; 

A  heavy  rain  would  cause  the  blocks  to  swell, 

And  then  the  pavement  was  all  gone  to — well, 

No  matter;  but  the  street  would  all  appear 

Thrown  up  in  little  hillocks,  far  and  near, 

And  then  no  one  along  that  street  could  drive 

With  any  hope  of  getting  through  alive. 

As  many  men  have  many  different  minds, 

So  of  sidewalks  there  were  as  many  kinds 

As  each  saw  fit  to  make  fronting  his  door, 

And  some  would  have  two  kinds,  and  even  more. 

There  was  no  uniformity  whatever, 

And  so  it  never  happened,  or  hardly  ever, 

That  any  two  men  could  agree  in  making 

The  same  sort  of  sidewalk,  or  undertaking 

To  make  a  walk  that  was  at  all  worth  having; 

The  end,  as  said,  was  many  kinds  of  paving. 

Some  were  of  granite  made,  and  some  of  flags, 

And  in  these  both  most  commonly  were  sags. 

Some  were  of  bricks,  and  some  were  laid  with  planks, 

Which,  so  to  speak,  would  cut  up  many  pranks. 

The  planks  would  spring,  and  warp,  and  twist,  and  wind, 

And  never  could  be  properly  confined. 

Some  were  of  asphalt  made  with  gravel  mixed, 

And  this  kind  had  to  be  quite  often  fixed; 

The  asphaltum  would  melt  in  the  hot  sun, 

And  quite,  at  times,  over  the  stone  curb  run; 

Or  else,  when  level,  get  so  soft,  at  last, 

That  women  walking  on  it  would  stick  fast. 

And  pretty  girls,  in  going  two  and  two* 


350  YEARS  AGO.  '  159 

Would,  as  it  sometimes  happened,  lose  a  shoe, 
Which  at  the  time  to  her  would  seem  shocking, 
Since  it  exposed  to  public  view  a  stocking; 
But  when  some  young  man  would  the  shoe  restore, 
She  would  appear  as  happy  as  before. 
And  walks  were  also  made  by  mixing  sand 
With  a  cement;  but  none  could  understand 
How  this  was  done.     It  was  a  patent  right, 
And  though  performed  by  men  in  open  sight 
Of  everyone,  only  a  few  could  do 
What  to  all  people  was  exposed  to  view. 
This  kind  of  sidewalk  was  the  very  best, 
And  far  excelled  in  smoothness  all  the  rest; 
But  somehow  only  men  whose  wealth  was  ample 
Indulged  in  it,  and  only  then  for  sample. 

Had  he  been  looking  with  his  natural  eyes, 

Reclining  as  he  was  on  Tamalpais, 

A  waste  of  sand  he  would  have  had  in  view, 

All  over  where  the  city  after  grew; 

But  in  the  future  he  was  looking  far  : 

To  him  a  city  was  already  there. 

With  mental  vision  casting  o'er  the  place, 

Long  rows  of  buildings  he  could  plainly  trace. 

These  he  observed  with  some  degree  of  care, 

And  noticed  features  that  to  him  were  rare. 

Some  people  on  the  sand  their  houses  made, 

But  others,  building,  their  foundation  laid 

In  solid  ground;  and  some  built  on  the  rocks, 

And  these  could  not  be  moved  by  earthquake  shocks; 

A  few  were  built  of  stone,  and  more  of  brick, 

But  of  these  last  the  walls  were  never  thick. 

So  thin,1  indeed,  quite  strange  to  say,  were  some 

That  when  the  least  disturbed  down  they  would  come. 

But  houses  most  were  built  of  wood  called  red, 

And  plastered  on  the  side  and  overhead. 

The  windows,  as  a  rule,  were  rather  wide, 

And  from  the  house  stood  out  on  every  side. 

Long  did  he  look,  but  never  could  conjecture 

What  style  it  was  they  had  of  architecture. 

He  noticed  some  oblong,  and  like  a  chest, 


160  CALIFORNIA 

But  these,  he  thought,  were  not  among  the  best. 

Immensely  large  to  him  some  homes  appeared, 

But  in  the  largest,  he  observed,  were  reared 

Less  children  than  in  some  mere  hovels  were, 

Without  a  window,  and  with  single  door. 

This  waste  of  room,  he  thought,  proved  with  mankind 

That  fortune  fickle  was,  and  likewise  blind. 

Some  of  these  dwellings  were  palatial, 

And  in  their  grandeur  rivaled  the  Querenial; 

In  these  of  works  of  art  and  bric-a-brac, 

Selected  with  best  taste,  there  was  no  lack. 

All  luxuries  the  world  could  then  afford 

Were  there  observed,  and  in  the  greatest  hoard  : 

The  statues  and  the  paintings  gathered  there 

Were  by  old  masters  made,  and  very  rare. 

Of  tapestry  and  gems  there  was  no  end, 

The  cost  of  which  no  one  could  comprehend. 

These  dwellings  mostly  were  built  on  a  hill, 

They  called  it  Nob,  and  no  one  ever  will 

Or  can  well  know  how  to  Manuelo 

These  things  appeared  three  hundred  years  ago. 

The  people  that  those  houses  occupied 

Were  genial  folk,  and  some  of  them  took  pride 

In  kindly  acts,  and  doing  good  to  others, 

And  seemed  to  think  that  all  mankind  were  brothers. 

A  few  of  them  their  boundless  wealth  enjoyed, 

While  others  by  their  riches  were  annoyed, 

And  seemed  to  be  in  constant  apprehension 

Of  breaches  of  the  peace,  or  some  contention 

Among  the  other  dwellers  in  the  city; 

Perhaps  for  lack  of  charity,  or  pity 

Towards  men  of  families  that  were  in  need, 

For  in  that  city  some  were  poor  indeed. 

There  is  so  much  in  prophecy  revealed, 
So  many  things  that  else  would  be  concealed 
In  the  dark  womb  of  distant  future  years, 
And  about  which  poor  mankind  seldom  hears — 
Things,  but  for  the  good  prophet's  warning  cry, 
Would  come  like  thunder-clap  from  a  clear  sky- 
That  man  should  heed  what  in  this  way  is  told, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  161 

And  not  confide  too  much  in  power  of  gold. 
Justino,  after  making  this  reflection, 
Turned  his  attention  in  a  new  direction. 

LXI. 

THE  PEOPLE. 

THE  people  that  inhabited  that  city 
Were,  as  a  general  thing,  both  wise  and  witty. 
Their  wisdom  was  in  many  things  displayed, 
Their  wit  was  mostly  seen  in  what  they  said. 
Sometimes  in  action  they  would  show  some  wit, 
In  failing  to  be  active  not  a  bit. 

The  thing  in  which  they  proved  themselves  most  wise 
Was  'in  the  most  remarkably  large  size 
Assumed  by  them  for  everything  they  had, 
And  all  they  hoped  to  get,  and  all  they  made. 
Some  might  not  see  the  wisdom  of  this  trait 
And  think  it  was  but  to  exaggerate ; 
But  one  should  take  of  it  a  different  view, 
And  one  which  seems  to  be  to  nature  true, 
That  every  man  thereby  improved  his  health, 
And  added  likewise  greatly  to  his  wealth. 
Another  thing  in  which  their  wisdom  shone 
Was  in  a  custom  which  was  all  their  own  : 
This  custom  was  to  always  look  around, 
And  when,  perchance,  a  thing  of  worth  was  found, 
To  try  and  turn  it  to  their  own  account, 
At  least,  if  it  was  of  some  great  amount. 
This  habit  cultivated,  grew  so  strong 
That  scarce  a  man  among  them  thought  it  wrong 
To  take  and  keep  whatever  he  could  get, 
Or  to  demand  of  anyone  he  met 
A  fair  division  of  his  surplus  gains, 
And  on  refusal  to  blow  out  his  brains. 
But  rarely  did  this  happen  for  that  cause; 
Nevertheless  it  was  among  their  laws 
That  any  man  who  might  be  called  a  thief, 
And  from  the  charge  if  he  had  no  relief, 
He  could  on  his  own  hook  hunt  down  the  one 
11 


162  CALIFORNIA 

Who  slandered  him,  and  this  was  often  done. 
The  wisdom  of  such  laws  was  clearly  shown 
In  making  men  more  careful  of  their  own, 
In  making  them  more  cautious  how  they  talked, 
And  more  particular,  also,  where  they  walked. 
This  good  effect  was  noticed  everywhere, 
And  breaches  of  these  laws  were  very  rare. 
It  did  occur  to  him,  however,  then, 
That  'mongst  them  all  there  might  be  a  few  men 
Who  would  adhere  to  their  determination 
To  break  these  laws,  in  spite  of  all  creation; 
Who  might  the  laws  of  father-lands  prefer, 
And  who  were  willing,  therefore,  to  incur 
The  hot  displeasure  of  those  other  men, 
Who  to  each  one  of  these  would  number  ten. 
This  kind  of  conduct  always  raised  a  row, 
But  these  few  men,  by  management,  somehow, 
Would  form  themselves  into  a  committee, 
And  take  possession  of  the  entire  city. 
And  for  a  week  or  two,  both  night  and  day, 
The  very  deuce  would  seem  to  be  to  pay. 

The  people  were  made  up  of  different  classes, 

Some  being  wise,  he  said,  but  some  were  asses; 

But  then  they  came  from  many  different  places, 

And  were  composed  of  several  different  races. 

There  was  the  man  from  Europe,  with  white  skin; 

And  Southern  men  were  there,  with  skins  quite  thin; 

Then  came  the  African,  whose  skin  was  black, 

And  some  of  these  were  striped  on  the  back. 

The  South  American  came  next,  with  features 

That  make  it  hard  to  tell  what  kind  of  creatures 

His  father  and  his  mother  may  have  been, 

According  to  the  teachings  of  Darwin. 

Next  came  the  India  man,  more  brown  than  stout, 

A  race  of  men  that  seemed  well-nigh  run  out. 

Then  English,  Irish,  Scotch,  and  French,  and  Dutch- 

The  number  was  unlimited  of  .such. 

Of  Chinamen  he  thought  there  were  a  few, 

And  now  and  then  a  solitary  Jew. 

But  in  that  city  everything  was  made 


350  YEARS  AGO.  163 

By  those  supposed  Chinese,  and  all  the  trade 
Was  carried  on  by  Jews,  if  Jews  they  were, 
And  quite  like  Jews,  to  him,  they  did  appear. 

The  people  there  had  one  infatuation 

Which  was  peculiar  to  no  other  nation. 

The  men  and  women  liked  to  be  thought  young, 

Particularly  when  about  half  sprung. 

They  somehow  seemed  to  think  it  a  disgrace 

To  have  white  hair,  or  wrinkles  on  the  face. 

To  make  themselves  look  young  the  men  would  dye 

Their  hair  a  black,  or  brown,  but  by  and  by, 

When  it  grew  out,  and  sometimes  all  too  soon, 

It  would  assume  a  color  called  maroon. 

Sometimes  half  whitCj  and  black  the  other  half, 

A  man  or  woman's  hair  would  cause  a  laugh. 

The  women,  to  look  young,  would  paint  their  features, 

And  then,  regard  themselves  as  charming  creatures. 

So  thick  would  these  sometimes  apply  the  paint 

That  some  of  them  appeared  extremely  quaint; 

But  still  they  would  persist,  both  maids  and  mothers, 

In  self-delusion,  trying  to  cheat  others. 

He  really  thought  it  was  the  strangest  yet 

That  men  and  women  should  so  far  forget 

That  youth  depends  upon  how  one  appears, 

And  not  upon  the  number  of  his  years. 

Some  are  in  very  truth  quite  old  at  thirty, 

While  others  are  as  young  as  boys  at  forty. 

Those  men  who  play  the  old  boy  in  their  youth 

Are  sure  to  be,  while  young,  old  boys  in  truth. 

But  those  who  temperate  are  in  all  their  lives, 

And  those  especially  who  have  good  wives, 

Though  many  years  may  over  them  have  rolled, 

Will  still  be  vigorous,  and  not  grow  old. 

Some  persons  have  been  known  at  eighty-seven 

To  be  apparently  as  far  from  Heaven 

As  others  only  twenty-five  have  been, 

From  being  by  the  devil  taken  in. 

While,  in  true  youthfulness,  there  is  some  glory, 

None  is  in  being  prematurely  hoary: 

And  this  may  be  with  some  the  reason  why 


164  CALIFORNIA 

They  use  so  frequently  dark-colored  dye; 

And  women  may  use  paint  with  the  same  view; 

But  dye  nor  paint  can  make  an  old  thing  new. 

Good  habits  better  are  than  dye,  or  paint, 

And  these  observed  there  need  be  no  complaint. 

Manuel  thought  the  elixir  of  man's  life 

Was  a  good,  loving,  true,  and  faithful  wife; 

But  what  of  women  might  be  th'  elixir 

He  could  not  guess,  but  thought  perhaps  for  her 

It  might  be  well  rich  dresses  to  provide, 

And  jewelry,  and  many  things  beside. 

But  what  he  thought  would  most  renew  her  strength, 

And  to  her  life  add  many  years  of  length, 

Was  what  appeared  to  him  a  simple  thing, 

That  is,  to  give  her  tongue  the  fullest  swing; 

For  women's  lives,  he  thought,  had  been  curtailed 

By  husbands  who,  most  foolishly,  had  failed 

To  fully  comprehend  their  greatest  need, 

Which  was  to  talk,  he  said,  and  not  to  read. 


LXII. 

THE  CITY. 

MANUELO  had  been  brought  up  in  Spain, 

And  always  hoped  he  might  go  back  again. 

As  seaman  he  had  traveled  far  and  wide, 

And  visited  a  hundred  ports  beside 

The  one  on  which  he  now  was  looking  down, 

And  on  the  shores  of  which  he  saw  this  town. 

But  in  the  ports  and  cities  he  had  seen, 

And  through  the  busy  streets  of  which  had  been, 

Not  one  presented  such  a  sight  as  here 

Arose  before  his  seer  like  vision  clear. 

In  other  towns  were  carts  and  drays  and  hacks, 

But  here  the  carriages  all  ran  on  tracks. 

A  single  hoise  would  draw  one  very  large, 

And  as  capacious  as  a  captain's  barge. 

But  what  was  more  surprising  to  him  still, 

Some  of  them  would  run  up  the  highest  hill 

Without  so  much  as  single  horse  to  pull, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  165 

And  that,  too,  when  they  were  chock  brimming  full 

Of  passengers.     This  surely  magic  was, 

He  thought,  and  contrary  to  all  the  laws 

Of  nature  and  of  art.     To  save  his  soul 

He  could  not  tell  what  caused  the  wheels  to  roll; 

But  roll  they  would,  and  that,  too,  very  swift, 

And  in  some  way  would  actually  lift 

Those  riding  in  them  up  the  steepest  height, 

And  keep  on  doing  so  through  day  and  night. 

He  saw,  but  could  not  tell  exactly  where, 

Except  it  was  on  some  great  thoroughfare, 

A  single  structure  which,  for  style  and  size, 

Surpassed  by  far  all  buildings  that  his  eyes 

Had  ever  rested  on.     Hotel  it  seemed, 

But  large  enough  if  was  for  king,  he  deemed. 

He  doubted  if  there  was  a  palace  built 

That  for  magnificence  could  hold  a  tilt 

With  this  great  building.      It  was  so  very  high, 

To  see  its  top  one  had  quite  hard  to  try. 

A  court  it  had,  rectangular  in  form, 

Which  was  entirely  shut  in  from  the  storm, 

For  it  was  covered  with  a  roof  of  glass. 

In  beauty  this  fine  structure  did  surpass 

The  Mosque  of  Omar,  and  the  Vatican, 

And  every  other  building  made  by  man. 

A  thousand  people  in  it  found  a  home, 

And  in  its  corridors  a  man  might  roam 

For  several  days,  and  travel  many  a  mile, 

And  something  new  and  strange  see  all  the  while. 

This  structure  by  a  banker  was  designed, 

And  owed  its  perfectness  to  the  great  mind 

Of  that  one  man,  whose  heart  and  noble  soul 

Shone  forth  in  every  part,  throughout  the  whole. 

In  all  the  views  that  Manuelo  took, 
The  only  things  that  had  familiar  look 
Were  the  cathedrals  and  the  churches  there, 
And  these  were  scattered  almost  everywhere. 
Some  churches  that  he  saw  were  very  small, 
And  some  were  large,  with  steeples  very  tall. 


166  CALIFORNIA 

Some  were  surmounted  with  a  cross  of  gold; 

Some  were  quite  poor,  and  others  very  old. 

Those  having  crosses  on  he  had  no  doubt 

Were  Catholic,  and  those  that  were  without 

Were  Protestant.     But  this  was  nothing  new, 

For  Manuelo,  though  a  Catholic  true, 

Was  quite  familiar  with  this  sort  of  thing, 

For  in  his  time  Don  Carlos  V.  was  king, 

And  emperor  as  well  of  all  the  Germans, 

And  personally  had  listened  to  the  sermons 

Of  Martin  Luther,  who  sought  to  reform 

The  church,  and  who  raised  such  a  fearful  storm 

Throughout  all  Europe,  and  throughout  the  world, 

By  his  bold  threats  against  Pope  Leo  hurled. 

So  in  these  churches  there  was  nothing  odd, 

Since  all  attendants  worshiped  the  same  God. 

There  were  some  places,  though,  Josh-houses  named, 

In  which  the  God  of  Christians  was  defamed. 

In  these  were  idols  w-  rshiped  by  the  people, 

But  then  these  houses  had  no  bell,  nor  steeple, 

And  could  not  properly  be  churches  called, 

Though  Christians,  by  them,  were  sometimes  appalled. 

In  one  of  the  best  churches  he  saw  there, 

A  man  called  Brother,  someone,  led  in  prayer. 

This  church  was  thought  to  be  not  orthodox, 

Though  it  appeared  to  have  been  built  on  rocks. 

In  the  largest  cathedral  that  he  saw 

A  bishop  reverend  laid  down  the  law, — 

The  law  by  which  the  good  should  be  directed, 

And  that  likewise  which  vitally  affected 

The  temporalities  of  all  his  flock; 

And  this  church  founded  was  upon  a  rock. 

No  standing  army  in  that  land  appeared, 
Nor  outside  enemy  was  ever  feared. 
The  native  born  were  peacefully  inclined, 
v       And  most  of  them,  it  was  observed,  did  mind 
Their  own  business,  and  let  their  neighbors  go. 
A  few,  however,  would  kick  up  a  row; 
But  these  were  not  unto  the  manof  born ; 
On  the  contrary,  all  of  these  were  foreign 


350  YEARS  AGO.  167 

Men,  who,  as  strangers,  to  that  land  had  come 

In  search  of  food  and  for  a  better  home. 

These  men  were  brought  up  under  other  rules, 

And  widely  different  laws,  and  different  schools, 

And  could  not  quite  take  in  the  situation, 

And  therefore  often  caused  great  botheration 

To  such  as  had  been  born  in  that  country, 

And  hoped  there  to  enjoy  prosperity. 

These  foreigners  on  Sunday  afternoons 

Would  come  together  in  squads  and  in  platoons, 

And  on  some  sand  lot  listen  to  the  blarney 

Of  one  whose  name  he  thought  was  Dennis  Kearny. 

This  fellow,  in  reality,  was  clever, 

And  dosed  his  hearers  with  some  good  palaver. 

He  made  them  think  they  had  been  much  abused, 

And  good  men,  in  that  town,  this  man  accused        * 

Of  all  the  crimes  found  in  the  calendar, 

And  some  that  never  had  been  written  there. 

At  last  this  thing  became  distasteful  to 

A  few,  who  said  to  him  it  would  not  do, 

And  that  unless  he  stopped  abuse  right  quick, 

And  better  talked,  that  they  would  make  him  sick. 

And  just  about  this  time,  as  history  goes, 

Began  the  serious  troubles  and  the  woes 

Of  this  man  Dennis,  and  his  silly  friends, 

Who  then  did  all  they  could  to  make  amends 

For  the  great  injury  they  had  thus  caused ; 

And  when,  at  last,  and  luckily,  they  paused, 

And  well  considered  all  that  they  were  doing, 

And  that  their  course  would  surely  bring  much  ruing, 

They  promised  in  the  future  to  do  better, 

And  to  obey  the  laws  up  to  the  letter. 

The  people,  then,  who  had  been  so  maligned, 

But  who  were  always  very  much  inclined 

To  charity  towards  all  other  men, 

And  more  particularly  in  cases  when 

They  were  misled  by  idle  demagogues, 

Who  knew  no  more  of  human  rights  than  swine — 

These  people,  then,  he  said,  their  work  suspended, 

And  all  disturbance  for  the  time  was  ended. 


168  CALIFORNIA 

I  said  a  standing  army  there  was  none, 

Nevertheless,  there  was  a  sort  of  one. 

This  army  called  itself  the  police  force, 

And  in  the  city  they  held  sway,  of  course. 

Their  proper  duty  was  to  keep  good  order 

Throughout  the  city,  and  along  the  border. 

A  star  they  wore,  and  dressed  in  uniform, 

In  order  that  themselves  might  do  less  harm. 

These  policemen  were  a  good-looking  set, 

And  behaved  well  enough  to  all  they  met; 

But  though  their  duty  was  to  detect  crimes, 

They  were  most  noted  for  their  love  of  dimes; 

And  if  one  of  them  ever  made  arrest, 

'Twas  as  likely  to  be  one  of  the  best 

Of  all  the  citizens,  as  of  the  worst. 

It  was  remarked  that  not  one  of  them  durst 

Take  in  his  charge  a  person  that  was  bad, 

And  persons  caught  by  them  were  weak  or  sad. 

By  sad  was  meant  they  were  oppressed  by  sorrow, 

And  wished  some  place  to  stay  until  the  morrow  : 

If  anyone  could  render  this  excuse 

He  would  find  lodgings  in  the  calaboose. 

If  crime  was  perpetrated  night  or  day, 

The  police  force  was  sure  to  turn  away. 

To  avoid  trouble  they  were  much  inclined, 

And  each  one  his  own  business  chose  to  mind. 

Sometimes  they  would  take  in  a  girl  or  boy, 

But  full-grown  men  they  seldom  would  annoy. 

Like  other  armies  this  one  had  its  fort, 

And  that,  in  this  case,  was  the  police  court, 

In  which  the  police  force  was  very  strong  ; 

And  here  they  would  pretend  to  punish  wrong ; 

But  wrong  was  not  more  punished  there  than  right, 

For  the  police  would  try  with  all  their  might 

To  get  a  fine  imposed,  or  send  to  jail 

The  man,  or  woman  either,  who  might  fail 

To  pony  up,  whatever  was  demanded. 

And  in  the  jail  the  poor  were  always  landed. 

A  common  council  in  that  city  was 

Called  common,  from  the  nature  of  the  laws 


350  YEARS  AGO.  169 

Enacted  by  them,  or,  perhaps,  because 
They  were  an  ordinary  set  of  men, 
And  paid  but  little  heed  to  duty  when 
Transacting  business  for  the  public  good, 
Or  doing  what  in  honesty  they  should. 
These  men  would  quarrel  about  little  things, 
But  in  all  large  ones  were  controlled  by  rings. 
By  rings  are  understood,  some  men  combined 
To  carry  out  the  scheme  they  have  in  mind. 
The  object  of  these  men  was  always  pelf, 
And  at  the  city  crib  each  helped  himself. 

There  was  among  the  rest  a  water  ring, 

Which  had  an  institution  they  called  Spring 

Valley.     The  object  of  it  was  to  bring 

Pure  water  to  such  people  as  were  fond 

Of  it ;  but  from  a  filthy,  stagnant  pond 

The  water  for  the  citizens  was  brought ; 

Of  which  all  were  compelled  to  drink,  or  nought. 

Another  ring  related  to  the  light 

With  which  the  city  was  illumed  by  night. 

Whatever  this  light  was,  they  called  it  gas. 

But  when  this  dream  occurred  there  was.,  alas! 

No  gas  in  all  the  world,  or  none  by  name, 

Though  something  else  may  have  been  just  the  same; 

But  it  was  not  then  used  for  light  at  all ; 

If  known  it  was  to  alchemists,  that's  all. 

The  lights  in  use  in  Manuelo's  day 

Were  all  produced  in  quite  a  different  way. 

The  tallow  candle  was  the  main  reliance ; 

But  some  had  made  so  much  advance  in  science 

That  lamps  were  used,  in  which  was  burned  whale  oil ; 

But  these,  for  common  use,  were  deemed  tpo  royal. 

When  Manuelo  therefore  heard  so  much 

Loud  talk  about  gas-light,  his  mind  was  such 

That  light  thereon  would  have  been  well  conferred, 

To  help  him  comprehend  what  then  he  heard. 

But  the  first  object  of  the  great  gas  ring 

From  giving  light  was  quite  a  different  thing. 

They  sought  to  keep  the  public  in  the  dark 


170  CALIFORNIA 

Regarding  their  concern  and  all  its  work. 
In  just  that  way,  that  is,  by  means  of  stealth, 
Immense  amounts  were  added  to  their  wealth. 
Justino  rather  thought,  but  was  not  sure, 
The  practice  of  this  ring  towards  the  poor, 
In  wringing  out  of  th_m  their  little  gains, 
To  gather  which  had  cost  them  so  much  pains, 
Might  be  the  reason  why  they  were  so  named; 
At  all  events,  for  wringing  they  were  famed. 
But  then  no  matter  how  the  term  arose, 
Or  what  we  may  concerning  it  suppose, 
The  fact  will  still  remain,  and  eve-r  be, 
That  ring  the  same  is  as  monopoly ; 
And  of  monopolies  in  that  fair  land 
There  was  no  end.     They  were  on  every  hand, 
And  controlled  everything.     If  but  a  street 
Was  to  be  fixed  you  would  be  sure  to  meet 
A  band  of  hungry  wights,  hot  for  a  job, 
All  ready  to  combine  to  steal  and  rob. 

Another  ring,  the  strongest  one  of  all, 

Was  formed  about  a  large  new  city  hall 

Which  they  were  building  on  a  sandy  dune, 

But  which  would  not  be  finished  very  soon; 

For  when  complete  it  would  no  longer  give 

The  ring  support,  nor  on  it  could  they  live. 

Officials  of  the  city,  high  and  low, 

Were  members  of  this  ring  from  the  word  go. 

Some  of  them  would  get  rich  out  of  a  job 

Upon  it,  and  others  would  try  to  rob 

The  city  on  some  contract  they  would  take, 

Intending  in  that  way  large  wealth  to  make. 

A  sort  of  sheep-shears  was  this  city  hall, 

Which  served  to  fleece  the  people,  one  and  all; 

And  meek  as  lambs  the  people  would  submit 

To  whatsoever  any  ring  saw  fit 

To  do.  or  to  impose  upon  the  city; 

And  Manuelo  thought  it  was  a  pity 

That  all  the  good  men  in  the  town  did  not 

Arise  and  teach  these  combinations  what 


350  YEARS  AGO.  171 

They  ought  to  do,  or  rather  what  they  should 
Refrain  from  doing,  unless  it  be  for  gond. 

The  reader  will  remember  the  time  when 

That  fight  came  off  between  four  hundred  men 

On  the  one  side,  and  on  the  other  side 

Some  thirty  bears,  who,  with  mouths  open  wide, 

Defied  the  men,  and  bravely  stood  their  ground 

Until  the  Santoese  did  them  surround; 

And  how  the  men  advanced  with  fearful  yell, 

And  how  the  bears,  affrighted,  screeched  as  well, 

And  how  the  great  tumult  filled  all  the  plain, 

And  from  the  hi  Is  was  echoed  back  again. 

But  this  commotion  could  not  be  compared 

To  a  tumult  which  Manuelo  heard 

In  that  city,  in  a  great  granite  hall, 

Built  very  strong,  with  steeple  very  tall. 

About  three  hundred  men  were  there  assembled, 

And  in  their  conduct  very  much  resembled 

The  men  who  were  engaged  in  the  bear  fight; 

But  ia  loud  yelling  beat  them  out  of  sight. 

He  watched  them  closely,  and  tried  to  find  out 

What  it  all  meant,  and  what  they  were  about, 

But  it  was  of  no  use,  there  was  no  telling 

What  caused  the  men  to  keep  up  such  a  yelling. 

In  the  great  din  he  thought  he  could  detect 

Thai  much  of  it  was  done  just  for  effect; 

And  that  the  ones  who  made  the  greatest  racket 

Had  much  less  cause  than  others  had  to  make  it. 

As  empty  wagons  make  the  loudest  noise, 

So  loudest  among  these  were  empty  boys. 

He  heard  them  saying  something  about  stocks, 

And  sometimes  one  would  speak  of  bottom  rocks. 

Much  of  their  talk  was  about  puts  and  fills, 

And  sometimes  also  about  shafts  and  mills; 

But  to  his  understanding  this  was  Greek, 

And  so  to  comprehend  it  d'd  not  seek. 

Each  man  would  have  a  pencil  in  his  hand, 

And  now  and  then  one  of  them  would  demand 

Of  the  fat  man,  who  sat  above  the  crowd, 

That  he  right  there  and  then  should  be  allowed 


172  CALIFORNIA 

To  bring  some  other  fellow  up  to  taw; 

And  then  the  fat  man  would  pronounce  the  law. 

Though  all  these  men  were  full  of  demonstration — 

For  that  among  them  all  was  all  the  fashion — 

Not  one  was  ever  hit  upon  the  nose, 

Though  many  of  them,  as  he  did  suppose, 

Received  black  eyes,  or  were  quite  badly  skinned, 

And  now  and  then  someone  would  have  the  wind 

Knocked  out  of  him,  and  such  would  always  then 

Complain  of  aches  about  the  abdomen. 

Some  of  these  men  when  chafed,  like  wolves  would  howl, 

And  others  when  close  pressed  like  bears  would  growl; 

So  much  like  bears,  at  times,  a  part  would  act. 

That  others  justly  called  them  bears  in  fact. 

Another  set  would  bellow  so  like  bulls 

That  they  were  termed,  in  spite  of  all  the  rules, 

The  bulls  of  that  assembly;  and  this  part 

Would  sometimes  show  in  practice  so  much  art 

In  puffing  up  what  they  might  have  in  mind, 

That  good  Manuelo  was  half  inclined 

To  look  upon  them  as  sets  of  scamps, 

And  scarcely  better  than  so  many  tramps. 

About  this  granite  hall,  and  on  the  street, 

A  stranger  in  the  town  would  always  meet 

A  crowd  of  hungry,  seedy,  anxious  wights; 

Where  they  were  from,  and  where  they  slept  o'  nights, 

A  puzzle  was,  and  mystery  profound; 

But  some  he  judged  must  sleep  upon  the  ground, 

For  they  as  filthy  were,  and  looked  as  bad, 

As  if  they  board  or  lodgings  never  had. 

Some  hopeful  were,  and  some  were  in  despair, 

As  would  appear  from  their  disheveled  hair. 

Some  from  hard  drink  had  faces  very  red, 

And  others  from  diseases  were  half  dead. 

These  fellows,  judging  from  their  gentle  ways, 

May  at  some  time  have  seen  much  better  days, 

But  now  their  case  was  sorrowful  enough, 

And  their  prospect  in  life  seemed  pretty  rough. 

Each  was  beset  with  a  strange  sort  of  whim, 

That  some  great  fortune  was  awaiting  him; 


350  YEARS  AGO.  173 

And  this  delusion  would  hang  to  each  one 

Until  his  course  on  earth  at  last  was  run. 

Once  in  a  while  a  woman  would  come  there, 

Though  women  in  that  crowd  were  rather  rare; 

But  when  one  did  appear  she  rushed  along, 

And  would  be  hardly  noticed  by  the  throng. 

If  sensitive,  the  woman  never  failed, 

In  that  locality,  to  keep  closely  veiled, 

For  women  on  that  street  were  out  of  place, 

And  were  quite  apt  to  fall  into  disgrace 

By  going  there  too  often,  or  by  staying 

Where  those  mad  men  their  curious  games  were  playing. 

LXIII. 

DRESS. 

GOOD  Manuelo  in  his  youth  had  heard 
That  "finest  feathers  make  the  finest  bird;" 
Which  words  of  wisdom  he  could  not  forget, 
And  that  now  brings  us  to  the  best  part  yet 
Of  this  long  dream.     At  least,  I  think  it  is, 
And  my  opinion  is  the  same  as  his 
Who  dreamed  the  dream.     But  then,  nor  he, 
Nor  yet  myself,  a  proper  judge  may  be. 

By  feathers  here  are  meant  quite  different  things 

From  those  which  grow  upon  the  tails  and  wings 

Of  birds  of  various  kinds.     The  things  I  mean 

Are  those  which  are  so  very  often  seen 

In  cities  large,  to  wit,  what  women  wear 

When  to  the  play  they  go,  or  when  to  prayer. 

The  dreamer  wrapped  in  reverie  profound, 

In  a  great  hall  was  borne,  where  all  around 

Were  seated  men  and  women,  young  and  old, 

In  numbers  greater  than  can  well  be  told. 

A  theater  it  seemed,  of  vast  extent, 

And  for  the  pleasure  of  the  people  meant. 

Its  form  was  circular,  but  from  one  side 

A  stage  extended  off,  both  far  and  wide. 

The  whole  of  this  great  hall  was  ornamented  • 

With  every  figure  that  could  be  invented; 


174  CALIFORNIA 

With  angels  in  mid  air,  in  nakedness, 

Or  with  the  least  apology  for  dress. 

Goblins  likewise  there  were,  with  hideous  forms, 

Some  having  faces,  necks,  and  breasts,  and  arms 

Of  lovely  girls;  but  all  the  parts  below 

Of  horrid  beasts,  of  kinds  no  one  may  know. 

Some  were  like  fishes  formed,  with  fins  and  tails, 

Some  bore  the  heads  of  men,  but  most  females. 

Of  all  these  things  no  heed  at  all  was  taken, 

Or  none  unless  the  dreamer  was  mistaken. 

But  mirrors  large  were  set  in  many  places, 

In  which  reflected  were  the  people's  faces. 

These  mirrors  objects  were  of  much  attention, 

As  if  they  might  have  been  some  new  invention. 

The  women,  he  observed,  would  peer  in  these, 

And  some,  in  doing  so,  seemed  ill  at  ease, 

And  anxiously  adjusted  what  they  wore, 

Which  Manuelo  thought,  in  looking  o'er 

That  vast  assembly,  might  have  been 

A  little  more  extensive  than  was  seen, 

For  more  than  half  of  all  the  ladies  there 

Appeared  with  breast  and  neck  and  arms  quite  bare; 

But  then  their  dresses  all,  such  as  they  had, 

Were  of  the  very  finest  fabrics  made; 

And  gold  and  jewelry  of  every  sort 

Adorned  the  person  where  the  dress  was  short. 

Feathers,  and  likewise  flowers,  most  gay,  upon 

Their  heads  they  wore  in  the  greatest  profusion. 

In  this,  he  thought,  he  could  most  plainly  see 

They  had  a  custom  of  the  Santo.ee, 

For  all  the  maids  and  matrons  of  that  nation 

Adopted  flowers  and  feathers  as  their  fashion. 

But  from  the  Santoese  they  different  were, 

In  that  those  in  the  hall  wore  golden  hair; 

And  many  of  them  were  of  light  complexion, 

Made  so  by  paint,  as  was  plain  of  detection. 

Whereas  the  native  women  of  his  day, 

Who  then  were  living  just  across  the  Bay, 

Had  hair  as  black  as  any  raven's  wing, 

And  eyes  as  dark  as  any  darker  thing. 

But  paint  was  never  used  by  dame  or  maid — 


350  YEARS  AGO.  175 

Though  men  themselves  would  paint  when  on  a  raid — 
Their  faces  were  as  clear  as*  amber  bright, 
And  beautiful,  though  not  exactly  white. 

The  people  in  this  theater  assembled, 
Which  in  arrangement  very  much  resembled 
The  arenas  by  the  Romans  built  in  Spain, 
But  which  for  ages  had  in  ruins  lain, 
Were  waiting  with  impatience,  all  within, 
For  the  evening's  entertainment  to  begin. 
At  length,  before  them  all,  upon  the  stage 
A  man  stalked  forth,  who  seemed  in  towering  rage  ; 
He  stormed  and  stamped  and  swore  and  beat  about, 
When,  in  a  little  while,  two  more  came  out, 
And  tried  to  cool  his  anger  with  soft  speech; 
But  the  first  man  replied  in  turn  to  each 
Of  the  two  men,  denouncing  them  aloud, 
With  words  severe,  before  the  assembled  crowd. 
Just  then  a  lady  came  upon  the  scene, 
From  a  more  distant  place  behind  a  screen. 
This  lady's  dress  was  made  of  silks  and  fur, 
And  two  bare-legged  pages  followed  her, 
Bearing  her  train,  which  was  three  varas  long. 
When  near  the  front  she  soon  began  a  song, 
In  which  the  men  all  three  joined  in,  with  notes 
Quite  loud  enough  to  split  their  very  throats. 
With  many  demonstrations  wild  these  four 
Were  singing,  when  in  rushed  a  dozen  more; 
A  troop  of  peasantry,  fair  maids,  and  men, 
"And  women,  young  and  old,  and  then 
They  all  joined  in  the  singing,  and  the  noise 
Was  equaled  only  by  that  which  boys 
Upon  a  village  green,  on  festive  day, 
Are  wont  to  raise  when  foot -ball  is  the  play. 
The  din  continued  half  an  hour  or  more, 
When  the  first  lady  fell  upon  the  floor, 
And  to  appearances  s"he  lay  there  dead  ; 
But  still  the  play  and  singing  onward  sped. 
The  angry  man  then,  kneeling  by  her  side, 
Showed  by  his  actions  that  she  was  his  bride, 
For  he  with  sorrow  was  quite  overcome, 


176  CALIFORNIA 

And  anxious  seemed  to  be  to  take  her  home. 
But  while  yet  there,  and  what  to  do  uncertain, 
.  And  others  still  were  singing,  down  came  the  curtain. 
Then  from  the  vast  assemblage  there  uprose 
Loudest  applause.     But  this  was  not  the  close. 
It  was  an  interlude  between  the  acts, 
And  Manuelo  then  observed  these  facts. 

Foremost  among  the  men,  and  near  the  stage, 

Were  many  gentlemen  advanced  in  age. 

Some  were  adorned  with  wigs,  but  most  were  bald. 

Though  young  some  were,  they  all  would  old  be  called; 

For  while  their  years  were  few,  they  much  had  seen, 

And  their  experience  had  quite  various  been. 

These,  in  that  town,  were  known  as  fast  young  men. 

So  fast  indeed  they  were  that  never  again 

Could  they  be  youthful,  for  their  prime  was  passed, 

And  with  much  older  men  their  lot  was  cast. 

The  old,  bald-headed  men,  no  doubt,  drew  near 

In  order  that  they  might  the  better  hear; 

Or  possibly  their  sight  was  dimmed  by  age, 

And  for  this  reason  they  sat  near  the  stage, 

In  order  that  the  better  they  might  view 

All  that  the  actors  on  the  boards  might  do. 

It  was  observed  when  dancing  girls  came  out 

These  ojd,  and  old  young  men,  were  close  about 

To  see  and  hear  all  that  was  going  on, 

To  cheer  the  actors,  and  enjoy  the  fun. 

Of  dancing  girls  there  were  in  that  same  play 

A  score  or  more,  and  not  for  many  a  day 

Had  Manuelo  seen  a  sight  so  fine, 

Or  anything,  in  fact,  in  that  same  line. 

With  hop,  and  skip,  and  sudden  turns  and  whirls, 

This  troop  of  twenty  beautiful  young  girls 

Came  vaulting  on  the  stage,  and  briskly  danced, 

While  each  in  turn  on  light  tiptoe  advanced 

Quite  to  the  front,  so  that  the  men  might  see 

Which  one  of  them  best  danceress  might  be. 

All  of  these  damsels  had  a  sort  of  notion 

That  too  much  clothing  might  impede  their  motion, 

And  for  that  reason  garments  they  had  few, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  177 

As  few,  in  fact,  as  possibly  would  do. 
In  truth,  it  must  be  said  to  have  had  less 
Would  have  been  to  be  almost  without  dress. 
Such  clothes  each  had  as  modesty  req  ired, 
And  that  was  all  the  audience  desired, 
Particularly  that  portion  near  the  stage, 
Who  have  been  mentioned  as  advanced  in  age. 
These  ladies  danced  with  such  transcendent  skill, 
And  were  applauded  with  so  much  good- will, 
And  all  so  smiled,  and  showed  such  winning  ways, 
That  each  in  turn  was  showered  with  sweet  bouquets. 
But  pleasures  all  must  end,  and  so  this  play ; 
And  the  people  went  reluctantly  away. 

These  things  were  seen  some  centuries  ago, 
And  what  is  plain  to  us  could  not  be  so 
To  one  accustomed  to  the  different  ways 
Of  people  living  in  those  ancient  days. 
'Tis  nothing  new  to  us  to  see  men  smoking; 
But  the  good  friar  thought  the  dreamer  joking, 
\Vhen  he  related  how  he  saw  the  men 
Imbibing  smoke,  from  something  round,  and  then 
Puffing  it  out  again  from  mouth  or  nose, 
When,  as  he  said,  the  smoke  in  clouds  arose; 
And  then  the  men  would  watch  with  anxious  eyes, 
To  see  how  high  the  cloud  thus  made  would  rise. 
He  could  not  tell  to  save  him  what  this  meant, 
But  gave  the  fact,  and  with  that  was  content. 
He  thought,  however,  it  was  childish  sport, 
And  wondered  that  full-grown  men  could  resort 
To  such  a  boyish  practice  as  that  seemed, 
And  one  so  foolish,  too,  as  this  was  deemed. 

Another  thing  that  caused  astonishment 
Was,  that  men,  young  and  old,  were  not  content 
To  drink  what  their  necessities  require, 
But  were  possessed  with  a  most  strange  desire 
To  pour  into  their  stomachs,  all  the  while, 
Some  spirits  strong,  or  some  decoction  vile, 
Which  they  well  knew  would  surely  cause  their  death, 
And  while  thev  lived,  erive  them  a  horrid  breath. 
12 


178  CALIFORNIA 

This  common  habit  of  intoxication 

He  thought  the  crowning  curse  of  that  great  nation; 

And  so  it  was,  for  of  their  men  the  best 

Were  by  it  sent  to  their  eternal  rest. 

But  then  he  would  not  have  it  understood 

That  all  the  people  drank ;  some  were  too  good, 

And  some  had  too  much  pride  to  be  seen  drunk, 

And  rarely  was  one  found  who  had  so  sunk 

In  his  own  estimation  as  to  become 

A  common  mendicant,  without  a  home ; 

But  such  examples  would  sometimes  occur, 

Brought  on  by  drink,  as  all  such  cases  were. 

By  this  account  Justine's  heart  was  moved 

With  pity  great,  for  all  mankind  he  loved. 

Most  people  in  that  town  were  well  inclined, 
As  good,  he  thought,  in  fact,  as  one  could  find. 
Politeness  and  true  goodness  are  the  same, 
The  difference  being  only  in  the  name. 
Politeness  marked  the  conduct  of  the  many, 
And  of  rude  people  there  were  hardly  any. 
But  some  there  were  disposed  to  foppishness, 
W'ho  counted  overmuch  upon  their  dress. 
Even  in  this  trait  there  was  some  wisdom  shown, 
And  the  distinction  was  not  all  their  own; 
For  other  men  in  other  times  have  thought 
-    That  reputation  with  one's  clothes  is  bought. 
Say  what  you  will,  that  is  not  all  absurd 
Which  on  this  head  we  have  so  often  heard : 
Dress  makes  the  man,  the  want  of  it  the  boor, 
The  ill-dressed  man  is  always  very  poor. 
Nine  tailors,  it  is  said,  it  doth  require 
To  make  a  man ;  but  we  do  not  desire 
To  be  unfair;  one  tailor  surely  can, 
If  a  good  one,  make  up  a  gentleman. 
Why  nine  should  be  required  to  make  the  clothes 
Of  one  is  more  than  anybody  knows. 
But  nine  it  may  require  to  make  a  fit ; 
And  should  the  fact  be  sought,  that  may  be  it. 
The  tailors  as  a  class  are  much  abused, 
And  payment  of  their  bills  sometimes  refused : 


350  YEARS  AGO.  179 

By  closest  observation  you  will  find 
That  they  are  benefactors  of  mankind. 

Among  the  well-dressed  men,  it  was  observed, 
Were  those  who  in  their  health  were  best  preserved. 
The  most  of  these  in  business  were  employed, 
But  some  with  business  never  were  annoyed; 
These  mentioned  last  were  mostly  men  of  wealth, 
But'  some  of  them  appeared  to  live  by  stealth, 
Their  occupation  could  not  well  be  seen, 
And  so  he  thought  some  of  them  might  have  been 
Engaged  in  games,  that  is,  I  mean,  with  cards, 
Or,  which  is  much  the  same,  in  the  stock-boards. 
Most  of  the  well-dressed  men  had  lots  of  money, 
While  others  aS  well  clad  were  without  any. 
The  impecunious  ones  were  termed  these  last, 
And  they  distinguished  were  for  living  fast. 
A  selfish  sort  of  life  some  of  them  led, 
And  for  all  good  they  did  might  well  be  dead. 
They  had  no  wives  nor  children  to  support, 
Nor  would  engage  in  business  of  that  sort. 
They  were,  in  fact,  a  shiftless  set  of  scamps, 
And  when  they  became  seedy  were  called  tramps. 

Among  the  richest  men  it  was  a  rarity 

To  find  one  much  inclined  to  charity. 

The  man  of  wealth,  who,  with  a  generous  heart, 

Relieves  the  poor  by  giving  up  a  part 

Of  the  large  gains  which  fortune  has  bestowed, 

Does  others  some,  but  does  himself  most  good. 

That  happiness  which  one  may  others  cause 

By  operation  of  kind  nature's  laws, 

Back  to  the  generous  man  is  sure  to  come, 

By  the  same  rule  that  curses  roost  at  home. 

If  this  wise  law  rich  men  could  understand, 

There  would  be  less  distress  in  every  land. 

In  speaking  of  the  laws  good  Manuel 
Thought  of  the  lawyers,  and  went  on  to  tell 
About  this  class  of  men  as  they  appeared 
In  his  long  dream,  but  said  he  greatly  feared 
He  might  injustice  do  that  curious  class, 


180  CALIFORNIA 

And  half  inclined  he  was  to  let  them  pass; 

But,  yielding  to  the  friar's  earnest  prayer, 

He  tnen  went  on  to  say  the  lawyers  were 

By  far  the  most  deceitful,  treacherous  set 

Of  individuals  he  had  ever  met. 

He  said  they  would  by  cunning  and  deceit 

Impose  upon  the  people,  and  would  cheat 

The  men  by  whom  they  were  employed; 

That  in  some  cases  men  were  more  annoyed 

By  their  own  lawyers  than  by  th'  others'. 

He  said  the  lawyers  called  each  other  brothers, 

And  an  association  formed  in  which  they  would 

Conspire  together  for  their  common  good; 

That  they  before  the  court  would  spout  and  spar, 

And  seem  to  be  engaged  in  earnest  war; 

But  when  the  court  adjourned,  and  out  they  came, 

They  to  each  other  would  appear  the  same 

As  if  they  always  had  been  best  of  friends, 

And  for  discourteous  words  to  make  amends, 

The  two  would  step  into  the  next  saloon, 

And  all  their  quarrels  were  frogotten  soon. 

The  two  would  there  shake  hands,  and  drink,  and  smoke, 

And  treat  their  quarrel  as  a  pleasant  joke. 

They  called  themselves  practitioners  at  the  bar, 

And  such,  he  said,  in  fact  they  really  were; 

But  then  the  bar  that  most  attention  claimed 

From  these  good  lawyers  was  the  one  just  named, 

Where  whisky,  gin,  and  wine  were  sold  and  bought, 

And  not  the  one  where  justice  is  dealt  out. 

The  lawyers  may  in  league  be  with  the  devil, 

But  then  they  are  a  necessary  evil. 

Regarding  many  things  which  there  he  saw, 

Some  men  were  needed  to  lay  down  the  law, 

And  lawyers  were  employed  that  thing  to  do, 

Though  some  of  them  had  other  ends  in  view. 

And  then  the  same  precisely  are  the  facts 
In  that  profession  where  are  found  the  quacks. 
Some  doctors  faithful  are  and  some  are  not; 
Some  are  men  of  learning,  and  some  have  got 
A  mere  smattering  of  the  knowledge  most  in  need 


350  YEARS  AGO.  181 

In  that  important  calling  to  succeed. 
Some  to  acquire  that  knowledge  take  great  pains, 
But  nevtr  can  succeed  for  want  of  brains. 
'  In  such  we  see  the  bent  of  nature  foiled, 
A  strong  blacksmith  or  a  good  butcher  spoiled." 
Those  doctors  who  lack  power  of  diagnosis, 
And  give,  hap-hazard,  to  their  patients  doses, 
Are  thought  to  be  about  the  very  worst 
Of  mortal  men  with  whom  the  world  is  cursed. 
The  shyster  may  be  cause  of  loss  of  gold, 
In  which  event  his  client  may  be  sold  : 
Such  injury  sustained  is  to  his  wealth, 
But  that  caused  by  the  quack  relates  to  health, 
And  it  may  be  extends  to  the  man's  life, 
Or  to  depriving  him  of  child  or  wife. 
And  yet  there  are  who  term  themselves  physicians, 
And  in  their  practice  hold  quite  high  positions, 
Whose  skill  is  all  in  humbug  and  pretense, 
And  who  are  lacking  even  common  sense. 
These,  by  their  airy  ways  and  solemn  looks, 
Lead  to  belief  that  they  are  learned  in  books  ; 
Whereas,  about  their  art  they  know  much  less 
Than  many  persons  who  do  not  profess 
To  understand  a  thing  about  the  ills 
Of  which  mankind  are  cured  by  drams  and  pills. 

In  Barcelona,  when  he  was  a  lad, 

Manuelo's  indulgent  parents  had 

Sent  him  to  school,  to  learn  how  to  recite 

His  prayers;  also,  perhaps,  to  read  and  write, 

And  he  could  cipher  just  a  little  too  ; 

But  scholars  in  that  country  then  could  do 

Not  much  beside.     His  teacher  was  a  priest, 

And  worldly  knowledge  was  deemed  of  the  least 

Importance,  when  compared  with  that  which  would 

Result  in  the  immensely  greater  good 

Of  being  saved,  when  his  career  below 

Was  ended,  and  his  soul  at  last  should  go 

Up  to  its  Maker,  for  its  final  sentence, 

And  proof  demanded  W.TS  of  his  repentance. 

The  schools,  therefore,  that  in  old  Spain  were  kept, 


182  CALIFORNIA 

And  those  now  seen,  while  Manuelo  slept, 

So  widely  different  were  in  all  their  aims 

That  they  might  well  be  called  by  different  names. 

Quite  properly,  he  thought,  some  were  termed  schools, 

While  others  were  but  nurseries  for  fools  ; 

But  which  the  latter  were  he  did  not  say, 

And  left  us  to  determine  as  best  we  may. 

But  in  the  schools  to  which  he,  dreaming,  went, 

And  not  the  one  to  which  his  parents  sent 

Him,  a  small  lad,  to  learn  to  be  a  good 

Young  man,  and  to  behave  just  as  he  should — 

In  these  latter  schools,  seen  in  the  vision, 

And  which  he  then  observed  with  some  precision, 

The  teachers  were  distinguished  for  their  knowledge, 

And  had  been  graduated  from  some  college; 

That  is,  a  college  where  the  sciences  and  arts 

Were  taught.     And  some  were  from  most  distant  parts 

Of  the  world,  and  were  men  of  the  broadest  learning, 

And  full  instructions  could  impart  concerning 

The  mysteries  of  nature,  and  those  curious  rules 

Which  govern  the  creation.     These  latter  schools 

Paid  less  attention  to  the  future  state, 

But  careful  were  about  what  might  relate 

To  human  conduct,  and  the  life  on  earth; 

Nor  was  much  said  about  the  second  birth. 

The  mind,  it  was,  received  the  most  attention; 

The  soul  was  seldom  thought  worthy  of  mention. 

All  this  to  Manuelo  seemed  quite  odd, 

Since  he  instructed  was  to  worship  God; 

And  other  learning  was  of  little  worth 

Where  he  was  taught,  and  where  he  had  his  birth. 

But  there  were  female  teachers  here  as  well; 

And  looking,  as  he  dreamed,  he  could  not  tell 

Which,  for  the  work,  might  be  the  better  fitted, 

And  on  this  point  his  judgment  he  omitted. 

The  females,  he  observed,  received  much  praise 

From  all  the  pupils,  for  their  winning  ways, 

And  to  impart  instruction;  these  he  deemed 

Equal  to  the  men;  or  so  they  seemed. 

The  scholars  by  their  bright  and  sprightly  looks 


350  YEARS  AGO.  183 

Showed  that  they  were  attentive  to  their  books. 
Not  only  could  they  read,  and  write,  and  spell, 
But  in  the  grammar  and  geography  as  well, 
And  in  the  higher  branches,  as  the  algebra, 
And  in  philosophy,  were  taught  each  day. 
The  greatest  aim  in  their  instruction  was 
To  make  them  understand  and  heed  the  laws 
Of  good  society,  and  which  relate 
To  the  requirements  of  a  prosperous  state. 

Few  books  were  printed  in  Justine's  time, 
And  none,  I  think,  in  that  far-distant  clime 
Of  Mexico.     It  is  not  strange,  therefore, 
That  Manuelo's  story  was  not  more 
Clearly  understood,  when  he  described  the  power- 
Press,  and  assured  Justino  that  in  an  hour 
More  than  thirty  thousand  sheets  of  paper  could 
Be  printed — much  larger  each  of  them  than  would 
Be  used  to  make  a  book.     These  paper  sheets, 
He  said,  were  hawked  about  the  city's  streets, 
And  mornings  early  left  at  every  door. 
He  thought  there  might  a  million  be,  or  more, 
Of  these  each  day,  which  all  the  people  read, 
To  find  what  might  about  themselves  be  said, 
And  learn  the  news  concerning  all  mankind, 
Which  in  these  papers  they  were  sure  to  find. 
But  how  the  news  could  be  obtained  each  day 
From  places  many  thousand  miles  away, 
Could  not  be  comprehended  by  the  friar, 
And  Manuel,  he  thought,  must  be  a  liar, 
But  did  not  tell  him  so,  though  both  did  laugh, 
For  neither  thought  about  the  telegraph. 

In  Manuelo's  time  book  writers  were 
In  numbers  very  few,  and  they  were  poor. 
As  want  imparts  to  appetite  a  zest, 
So,  hungry  authors,  as  a  rule,  are  best. 
The  rich  man,  when  he  undertakes  to  write, 
Lacks  the  great  stimulus  of  an  appetite. 
The  overpampered  brain  is  never  keen, 
As  in  the  rich  man's  writings  may  be  seen. 


184  CALIFORNIA 

An  author  never  should  be  too  well  fed, 

Since  a  full  stomach  makes  an  empty  head. 

The  belly  and  the  brain  so  sympathize 

That  when  the  first  is  full  the  last  is  otherwise. 

The  city  Manuel  saw  while  yet  he  dreamed 

With  writers  and  with  authors  fairly  teemed; 

They  were  of  every  sort  and  every  grade, 

And  of  as  many  kinds  as  could  be  made 

Out  of  the  poor  materials  then  on  hand 

In  that  most  fanciful  and  curious  land. 

Of  those  who  wrote  in  measure  there  were  many, 

But  real  poets  there  were  hardly  any; 

For  wide  the  difference  was,  as  he  could  see, 

Betwixt  mere  rhyming  and  good  poetry. 

Poetic  thoughts  sometimes  appear  in  prose, 

And  prose  in  rhymes,  as  everybody  knows. 

He  found  not  even  one  in  that  vast  throng 

Who  could  compose  a  tolerable  song, 

And  hence,  he  thought,  'mongst  all  the  writers  there 

That  real  poets  were  extremely  rare; 

And  he,  in  this,  showed  his  superior  wit 

By  holding  that,  poeta  nascitur,  nonfit. 

To  be  a  poet  he  made  no  profession, 

And  the  translator  has  the  same  discretion; 

But  history  he  thought  was  his  strong  suit, 

And  that  distinction  none  can  well  dispute. 

The  writer  would  the  reader  not  deceive, 
Nor  would  he  for  the  world  have  him  believe 
That  he's  in  any  way  entitled  to 
The  credit  for  what  other  men  may  do. 
If  in  this  story  there  is  any  merit 
Or  genius,  such  as  author  might  inherit, 
It  all  belongs  to  wise  Manuelo, 
Who  really  was  a  very  clever  fellow; 
And  if  defects  in  composition  are 
.  Observable,  it  is  but  just  to  say  they  were 
Committed  by  the  friar,  and  all  respon 
sibility  should  be  located  on 
His  broad  shoulders;  for  I  now  confess 
That  I  had  nought  to  do  with  the  MS. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  185 

But  it  is  proper  that  I  here  should  mention 

That  when  the  manuscript  first  claimed  attention, 

Some  thirty -five  or  forty  years  ago, 

At  the  old  convent  in  Alemtajo, 

It  was,  as  penned  by  Father  Justino, 

Writ  in  blank  verse,  just  as,  in  ancient  days, 

Some  authors  would  prepare  for  stage  their  plays  ; 

Or,  as  blind  Homer  did  his  story  tell 

About  the  valiant  Greeks,  and  how  Troy  fell, 

After  a  long  siege,  which  in  heroic  deeds 

All  other  written  stories  far  exceeds, 

Unless  we  should  except  this  of  the  friar, 

Who,  like  old  Homer,  thrummed  the  magic  lyre. 

But  the  poor  foolish  priests,  who  found  the  scroll 

So  snugly  hidden  in  a  pigeon-hole, 

Were  so  obtuse  and  purblind  at  the  time 

That  poetry  for  them  must  be  in  rhyme. 

And  so  in  prose  they  rendered  most  of  it, 

And  in  plain  prose  I  have  to  now  transmit 

The  greater  part  of  this  historic  tale. 

But  the  good  reader  will,  I  trust,  not  fail 

To  notice  I  have  given  all  I  could 

In  verse,  and  more,  it  may  be,  than  I  should; 

And  more,  perhaps,  considering  the  kind, 

Than  persons  of  good  taste  will  feel  inclined 

To  justify  in  such  a  story  as  this  one, 

Which  as  a  simple  history  was  begun. 

But  then  Justino  lacked  poetic  fire, 

And  nothing  in  the  story  could  inspire 

A  man  like  him,  who  from  his  childhood  lacked 

A  taste  for  everything  but  naked  fact, 

While  poetry  is  made  up  of  invention, 

And  must  be  difficult  of  comprehension  ; 

It  should  be  noted  for  obscurity; 

The  more  obscure  the  greater  is  its  purity. 

The  fault  with  Virgil,  and  the  men  of  old, 

Is  that  their  stories  are  too  plainly  told. 

If  they  had  been  a  little  more  abstruse, 

There  would  have  been  a  little  more  excuse 

For  handing  down  their  works  to  modern  times, 


186  CALIFORNIA 

When  they  did  not  so  much  as  write  in  rhymes, 
And  when  their  writings  were  so  plain,  indeed, 
That  anyone,  in  running,  might  them  read. 

LXIV. 

THE  RETURN. 

AROUSED  from  his  reverie  late  in  the  afternoon,  Manuelo 
partook  of  such  repast  as  had  been  provided,  and  at  the  dawn 
of  the  following  day  he  and  his  companions  set  out  on  their 
return  to  the  village  of  the  Yonos,  all  refreshed  and  much 
pleased  with  what  had  been  experienced.  Manuelo  himself 
lingered  behind  to  take  one  last,  long  look,  in  the  light  of  the 
rising  sun,  over  the  mighty  expanse  of  delightful  scenery  with 
which  he  had  been  so  completely  entranced,  and  a  sense  of 
sadness  crept  over  him,  as  he  reflected  that  he  was  beholding 
for  the  last  time  from  that  inspiring  elevation  a  land  and  sea 
which  he  verily  believed  were  destined  in  future  ages  to  become 
the  busy  scenes  of  a  civilization  entirely  distinct  from  that  of 
the  people  whose  villages  then  dotted  its  shores,  and  whose" 
canoes  only  occasionally  disturbed  its  placid  waters.  Strongly 
impressed  with  the  truthfulness  of  his  vision,  he  at  last  tore 
himself  away  from  the  enchanted  place,  and  with  measured 
tread  followed  the  priest's  son  and  his  companions  on  their 
winding  way  down  from  the  summit  of  lofty  Tamalpais.  Re 
turning,  the  hunters  followed  a  new  and  devious  path,  much 
longer  than  the  one  they  had  pursued  in  coming,  and  the  shades 
of  night  were  fast  falling,  when,  with  weary  steps,  the  little  band 
filjd  into  the  Yono  village,  the  manly  form  of  Manuelo  being 
the  most  conspicuous  figure  in  the  procession. 

Their  coming  was  greeted  with  various  demonstrations  of 
gladness,  especially  by  the  female  portion  of  the  population, 
some  of  whom,  it  may  well  be  supposed,  were  most  anxiously 
awaiting  their  return,  and  all  joined  in  enlivening  the  event  by 
the  heartiest  applause. 


350- YEARS  AGO.  187 

The  expedition  had  not  been  eminently  successful  for  the 
game  that  was  taken,  but  far  more  had  been  accomplished  than 
was  anticipated  by  anyone,  and  far  more  than  was  understood, 
at  that  time,  by  the  natives.  Ascending  the  mountain  was  not 
among  the  things  contemplated  when  they  set  out,  and  nothing 
was  further  from  the  mind  of  the  hunters  than  the  magnificent 
view  which  broke  upon  them  from  that  towering  height.  The 
dream  of  Manuelo  was  something  that  pertained  to  himself 
alone;  nor  did  he,  when  there,  disclose  what  he  saw  to  his  com 
panions;  but  on  his  way  down  he  ceased  not,  nor  afterwards, 
to  revolve  in  his  own  mind  the  wonderful  events  that  had 
passed  in  review  before  him,  until  they  became  so  thoroughly 
impressed  upon  his  memory  that  he  was  able  to  relate  them, 
years  afterwards,  to  Father  Justino,  with  all  the  particularity 
with  which  they  have  been  given. 

Not  many  days  were  the  conspirators  compelled  to  abide  in 
the  village  before  a  favorable  wind  arose,  and  they  were  en 
couraged  to  undertake  their  contemplated  expedition  upon  the 
Bay.  Accordingly  the  two  set  out  in  their  boat  alone,  with  a 
fair  prospect  of  being  driven  in  the  direction  they  wished.  So 
carefully  was  everything  conducted  that  their  purpose  was  not 
suspected  even  by  the  shrewdest  of  the  Yonos,  all  of  whom 
,were  accustomed  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  every  movement  of 
Manuelo.  It  was  with  no  little  pain,  as  he  subsequently  ac 
knowledged,  that  he  embarked  for  a  lasting  absence,  without 
being  permitted,  as  he  felt  strongly  inclined,  to  bid  his  cher 
ished  friends  an  affectionate  adios.  But  his  own  prudence, 
united  with  the  cooler  judgment  of  the  priest's  son,  forbade 
any  demonstrations  which  might  betray  their  purpose,  and  pos 
sibly  defeat  the  end  they  had  in  mind.  Until  far  away  on  the 
water  he  smothered,  as  best  he  was  able,  the  reproaches  of  con 
science,  awakened,  doubtless,  at  beholding  the  slender  form  of 
the  confiding  and  hopeful  Nona  lingering  upon  the  shore,  and 
with  sweetest  smiles  waving  the  fishermen  good'  luck.  To- 


188  CALIFORNIA 

wards  his  companion's  imprudent  wife,  who  was  also  there,  his 
feelings  were  different.  Though  Manuelo's  sentiments  towards 
her  were  those  of  extreme  kindness,  he  had  been  so  perplexed 
by  her  attentions  that  he  left  her  now  with  less  regret.  The 
priest's  son  himself  was  the  happiest  person  on  that  occasion, 
though  he  lacked  not  the  discretion  to  conceal  the  cause  of  his 
merriment. 

The  boat  and  its  occupants  were  soon  out  of  sight  on  the 
broad  expanse  of  the  Bay,  and,  as  had  been  anticipated,  they 
were  borne  by  the  winds  in  the  direction  of  the  Santos  settle 
ment. 

Landing  near  the  city,  late  that  evening,  the  long-absent 
Manuelo  was  greeted  by  all  the  people  with  every  demonstra 
tion  of  joy,  and  by  none  of  the  men  with  more  cordiality  than 
by  the  old  chief,  and  still  more  venerable  high  priest,  both  of 
whom  had  returned  from  the  warlike  expedition  against  the 
Modens  alive,  to  be  sure,  but  covered  as  it  were  with  wounds. 
Their  escape  had  been  almost  miraculous,  for  both  were  in  the 
forefront  of  the  fight  at  the  time  of  the  flank  movement  of  the 
enemy,  and  both  were  compelled  to  cut  their  way  out  through 
the  opposing  lines,  only  finding  safety  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  which,  happily  for  them,  was  just  then  shutting  down  its 
curtain  upon  the  earth.  It  was  thought  but  for  this  circum 
stance,  and  the  diversion  fortunately  caused  by  the  sudden  ap. 
pearance  of  Manuelo  upon  the  scene,  utter  annihilation  must 
have  been  the  fate  of  the  Santos  forces;  and  both  these  digni 
taries  were  therefore  ready  to  confess  their  indebtedness  in 
some  sense  to  the  sturdy  Manuelo  for  their  return  once  more 
to  their  own  kingdom.  But  as  it  was,  many  of  their  people 
were  slain  and  left  upon  the  bloody  field;  probably  not  more, 
however,  on  the  one  side  than  on  the  other;  so  that  the  treach 
erous  Modens  were  compelled  to  render  up  a  full  equivalent  for 
their  victory.  Among  others  who  escaped  from  that  terrible 
encounter  was  the  stalwart  young  prince,  Gosee,  who  had  afore- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  189 

time  so  disastrously  worsted  Manuelo  in  the  wrestling  match, 
and  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  his  rival  for  the  hand  of 
the  princess  Alola.  This  young  man  welcomed  the  return  of 
Manuelo  with  some  apparent  good-will  at  first,  but  that  was 
soon  dispelled  by  his  beholding  the  warmth  with  which  the 
white  man  was  greeted  by  the  fair  Alola  herself. 

Manuelo's  coming  was  wholly  unexpected,  and  the  delight 
of  the  young  woman  on  seeing  him  again  could  not  be  re 
strained;  nor  did  she  endeavor  in  the  least  to  repress  an 
exhibition  of  her  feelings.  Alternately  she  laughed  and  wept 
for  joy,  and,  in  the  presence  of  them  all,  again  and  again 
kissed  and  embraced  him.  The  engagement  that  had  been 
made  by  the  authorities  between  her  and  Gosee  had  in  Man 
uelo's  absence  so  far  ripened  by  time  that  the  marriage  was  to 
be  consummated  at  the  very  next  Feast  of  Flowers;  but  even 
this  did  not  restrain  her  emotions.  Her  love  had  survived  the 
lapse  of  time,  and  now,  touched  by  the  sudden  appearance  of 
her  lover,  whom  she  had  been  led  to  believe  was  dead,  it 
blazed  forth  again  without  restraint.  The  perplexing  situation 
into  which  affairs  had  drifted  in  his  absence  was  soon  made 
known  to  Manuelo  from  the  lips  of  the  maiden  herself,  and, 
as  you  may  well  know,  caused  a  sorrow  in  his  heart  no  less 
poignant  than  that  which  wrung  her  own;  for  during  all  his 
long  absence,  he  had  never  ceased  to  think  of  her,  nor  to  .hope, 
with  all  the  ardor  of  a  true  lover,  that  he  might  see  her  again. 
She  alone  of  all  the  native  women  had  captivated  his  affections, 
and  he  found  it  quite  impossible  to  divest  himself  of  the  tender 
attachment,  though  he  could  plainly  see  that  it  was  his  duty  to 
endeavor  to  do  so.  He  might  possibly  have  succeeded  in 
repressing  in  some  measure  the  warmth  of  his  own  passion  had 
it  not  been  for  the  almost  insane  infatuation  of  the  poor  creat 
ure  for  him.  Her  feelings  were  past  all  control.  As  may  well 
be  imagined  by  some  of  the  readers,  though  not  perhaps  by 
others,  the  two  were  now  terribly  embarrassed  by  the  situation, 
and  utterly  miserable. 


190  CALIFORNIA 

Curiously  enough  we  are  left  by  Justino  quite  in  the  dark  as 
to  the  length  of  time  that  had  elapsed  between  the  departure 
of  Manuelo  for  the  war,  and  his  return,  and  it  is  mere  conject 
ure  on  the  part  of  those  who  discovered  the  manuscript  when 
they  set  the  period  down  at  less  than  two  years.  A  longer 
time  it  could  hardly  have  been,  since  it  would  seem  impossible 
for  the  flame  of  love  to  burn  so  brightly  in  the  breasts  of  per 
sons  widely  separated,  for  a  longer  period. 

Though  Manuelo  could  but  admire  many  of  the  laws  and 
customs  of  this  strange  people,  he  now  became  fearfully  dis 
gusted  with  those  which  related  to  matrimony.  Different  though 
these  were  from  the  practices  of  civilized  people,  and  contrary 
to  what  had  been  familiar  to  him  in  his  native  country,  never 
theless  he  might  have  been  reconciled  to  them  but  for  his  own 
experience.  We  refer,  of  course,  not  more  to  his  unwilling 
engagement  with  the  Yonoese  maiden  than  to  his  anticipated 
pleasure  with  the  beautiful  Alola,  which  was  so  liable  to  be  in 
terrupted  by  those  laws.  These  two  considerations  led  him  to 
look  upon  them  with  the  highest  disfavor,  and  his  deprecation 
of  them  to  Father  Justino  was  unmeasured. 

Manuelo's  re-appearance  at  the  capital  after  so  long  an 
absence  was  to  the  people  in  general,  as  well  as  to  his  sweet 
Alola  in  particular,  as  joyous  as  it  was  unexpected.  All  had 
for  some  time  been  resting  under  the  conviction  that  he  had 
taken  his  everlasting  departure  to  the  land  of  shades;  never 
theless,  it  was  counted  as  ground  for  doubt  on  the  part  of  a 
few,  that  the  seers  had  been  utterly  unable  to  obtain  any  com 
munication  from  him  from  that  quarter.  He  was  thought  by 
most  of  the  people  to  have  perished  in  the  battle,  and  none 
really  expected  ever  to  see  him  again.  Alola  had  mourned 
him  long  and  sorrowfully,  and  only  after  positive  assurance 
from  Gosee,  and  one  or  two  others,  equally  mendacious,  that 
his  dead  body  had  been  seen  stretched  upon  the  plain,  would 
she  give  up  all  hope  of  his  returning. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  191 

The  uslial  interruptions  growing  out  of  the  excessive  joy  of 
the  greeting  being  over,  Manuelo,  accompanied  by  a  large 
retinue,  was  conducted  to  the  dwelling  of  the  great  chief,  where, 
being  seated  on  a  grizzly  bear  skin  in  the  center  of  the  princi 
pal  apartment,  he  was  required  to  give  a  detailed  account  of 
his  movements  during  all  his  long  and  painful  captivity.  He 
began  by  relating  to  the  eager  crowd  there  assembled,  with 
lips  apart,  how,  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  he  had  been  led 
away  from  his  friends,  and  after  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  en 
counter,  in  which  were  slain  he  knew  not  how  many,  he  was 
overpowered  by  numbers,  and  made  a  prisoner  of  war.  With 
all  candor  he  told  them  how  he  had  attempted  to  conciliate  the 
angry  Modens  by  pretending  not  too  much  friendship  for  the 
Santos,  whom  he  assured  his  captors  were  neither  of  his  own 
race  nor  in  sympathy  with  him,  and  for  whom  he  said  he  en 
tertained  no  affection,  in  this  instance  forgetting  Alola  entirely. 
He  next  related  how  he  was  detected  by  his  dress  as  the  leader 
of  the  former  naval  engagement  on  the  interior  waters  of  the 
country,  and  he  had  no  doubt  his  subsequent  enslavement  and 
the  many  indignities  heaped  upon  him  were  attributable  more 
to  this  one  circumstance  than  to  any  other.  In  giving  a  par 
ticular  account  of  the  cruel  treatment  received  by  him  at  the 
hands  of  his  heartless  masters,  it  was  observed  that  tears  would 
often  spring  to  the  eyes  of  the  sympathetic  Alola,  who  listened 
to  his  story  with  more  undivided  attention,  if  possible,  than 
anyone  else.  He  then  told  how  he  had  instructed  the  com 
mon  people  of  the  Modens  touching  their  natural  rights,  and, 
in  due  time,  incited  an  insurrection  against  their  government; 
how  an  opportunity  was  providentially  offered  for  getting  them 
underarms  and  rallying  them  to  his  support;  but  that  they 
failed  him  entirely  when,  like  so  many  slaves,  as  they  were, 
they  came  to  facing  their  masters ;  how,  accompanied  by  a 
handful  of  men,  he  had  fled  to  the  distant  mountains  off  to 
the  west,  and  finally,  after  much  privation,  reached  the  ocean. 


192  CALIFORNIA 

His  hearers  were  greatly  amused  with  his  account  of  the  aib- 
content  of  his  followers,  and  his  description  of  the  manner  in 
which  they  had  been  miraculously  supplied  with  food,  arid  how 
they  subsisted  upon  shell-fish  during  all  of  their  wanderings  by 
the  sea.  They  noted  with  interest  what  he  said  about  coming 
to  an  arm  of  the  ocean  and  being  compelled  to  turn  inland, 
and  about  his  camping  near  some  warm  sulphur  springs ;  but 
he  prudently  omitted  relating  to  them,  at  that  time,  his  dream 
at  the  springs,  and  he  also  forebore  to  speak,  when  he  came  to 
that  point  of  his  vision  on  Tamalpais,  judging  rightly  that  his 
hearers  would  fail  to  comprehend  the  events  that  were  fore 
shadowed  in  them.  When  he  came  to  tell  how  he  had  lost  his 
ten  Moden  companions,  and  that  he  could  not,  by  seeking  and 
shouting,  find  hide  nor  hair  of  them,  he  could  but  observe 
that  his  listeners  appeared  to  be  especially  delighted,  and  they 
more  than  expressed  their  gratification  at  the  probable  de 
struction  of  so  many  of  that  hated  race.  But  when  he  related 
how,  unexpectedly,  he  had  come  upon  a  Yonoese  maiden 
whom  he  knew,  and  to  whom  he  gave  chase,  but  who  did  not 
know  him,  but  fled  with  fear,  a  shout  of  laughter  went  up  from 
all  the  assembly,  with  the  exception  of  Alola  alone,  who  did 
not  seem  to  appreciate  the  joke. 

The  story  ended,  the  night  far  advanced,  and  the  fire  in  the 
great  wigwam  burning  low,  each  hesitatingly  retired  to  his  home 
and  to  slumber.  But  there  were  two  in  that  city  who  slept  not 
soundly  that  night.  Alola  and  her  lover  were  overmuch  con 
cerned  for  their  future  welfare  to  rest  in  peace.  The  Festival 
of  Flowers  was  fast  approaching,  and  faster  still,  it  seemed  to 
them,  the  time  for  the  marriage  between  her  and  Gosee,  and 
unless  something  could  be  done  to  forestall  that  event,  her  hap 
piness  and  that  of  Manuelo  would  be  forever  wrecked.  Wake- 
fully  he  thought  of  the  matter  the  night  through,  and  as  he 
afterwards  -learned,  Alola  had  been  equally  concerned,  so  that 
sleep  visited  not  her  drooping  eyelids  till  the  weary  sun  came 
peeping  over  the  high  eastern  hills. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  193 

As  for  Manuelo,  he  asseverated  that  his  embarrassment  was 
not  greater  at  any  time  during  all  his  fearful  round  of  captivity, 
than  now,  when  his  trials  would  seem,  to  an  unsentimental 
observer,  to  have  come  to  an  end.  As  often  happens  to  man 
kind,  his  anticipated  quiet  was  turned  into  a  sea  of  troubles. 
The  goal  of  one's  ambition,  says  Justino,  in  spite  of  the  best 
calculations  that  can  be  made  by  mortal  man,  is  frequently  the 
threshold  of  events  which,  were  they  open  to  view,  would 
never  be  approached.  Man  is  seldom  permitted  to  know  in 
what  direction  his  real  pleasures  lie ;  nevertheless,  it  is  wisely 
provided  by  the  Author  of  his  being,  that  he  should  be  deluded 
with  the  vainglorious  belief  that  happiness  is  the  reward  of  his 
own  exertions.  Were  it  not  so,  man  might  fall  into  habits  of 
listlessness,  and  who  can  say  to  what  depressions  of  the  race 
foreknowledge  might  not  lead  ?  Whether  this  provision  of  nat 
ure  be  wise  or  otherwise,  Manuelo  was  not  disposed  to  criti 
cise  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  strove  to  accept  the  situation 
with  all  the  equanimity  he  could  command.  His  great  desire 
had  been  to  reach  the  capital,  confidently  hoping  the  while 
for  the  best,  and  little  anticipating  that  when  there  he  would 
encounter  troubles  which  must  have  crushed  the  spirits  of  any 
one  of  less  courage.  The  prospect  of  disappointed  love  was 
supplemented  by  dangers  to  the  object  of  his  adoration,  which 
took  hold  of  his  sensitive  nature  with  powerful  effect,  and 
caused  him  more  real  suffering  than  he  had  ever  before  experi 
enced.  The  suddenness  with  which  this  burden  was  placed 
upon  his  shoulders  rendered  it  the  more  oppressive,  and  it  was 
not  at  all  alleviated  by  the  fact  of  its  being  shared  by  another. 
Love  by  one  alone  can  be  endured.  In  that  form  it  is  not  a 
dangerous  malady.  The  single-lighted  fagot  by  itself  alone 
will  soon  expire ;  but  fagots  in  contact  burn  brightly,  and  are 
not  so  easily  extinguished.  So  with  the  flame  of  love;  when 
kindled  between  two  such  ardent,  sympathizing  souls  as  Man 
uelo  and  Alola,  it  burned  with  a  consuming  power.  In  truth 
13 


194  CALIFORNIA 

Manuelo  was  not  aware  until  now  how  much  he  adored  his 
sweetheart,  and  the  danger  of  losing  her  by  seeing  her  become 
the  wife  of  the  envious  Gosee,  would  rush  upon  his  mind  at 
unguarded  moments,  and  almost  drive  him  to  distraction.  For 
the  first  few  days  after  his  return  there  seemed  to  be  no  cir 
cumstance  to  alleviate  his  distress,  but  on  the  contrary  every 
thing  appeared  to  conspire  to  augment  the  trouble.  The 
hated  Fiesta  of  Flowers,  which  was  to  bring  the  hour  of  his 
calamity,  was  approaching  apace,  and  preparations  for  the  fes 
tivities, 'though  not  very  near,  were  already  in  progress. 

In  the  meantime  also  the  devotion  of  Alola  for  her  long-lost 
lover  was  increasing  day  by  day.  It  had  existed  in  large  meas 
ure  from  the  time  of  their  first  acquaintance,  or,  at  all  events, 
from  the  time  of  his  becoming  a  leader  of  fashions  in  the  city, 
and  nothing  had  ever  occurred  to  dampen  its  ardor  in  the  slight 
est,  until  a  positive  assurance  had  come  of  his  death,  which 
false  report  had  been  forced  upon  her  belief;  and  now,  when  he 
was  restored  to  life  as  it  were,  the  power  of  her  passion  became 
uncontrollable.  It  was  greater  under  these  circumstances  than 
if  it  had  been  kept  steadily  ablaze  from  the  start.  By  their 
forced  separation  there  had  been  an  accumulation  of  the  ma-" 
terials  upon  which  it  could  feed,  and  now  all  efforts  to  suppress 
it  only  tended  to  stir  up  the  brands  and  cause  them  to  burn 
the  more  brightly. 

Ebullitions  of  feelings  on  the  part  of  Alola  were  noticed  with 
some  concern  by  her  father,  the  king,  and  at  the  same  time  by 
her  venerable  prospective  father-in-law,  the  high  priest.  The 
women  of  the  city,  likewise,  and  particularly  those  about  the 
chiefs  quarters,  where  Manuelo  was  again  abiding,  readily  ob 
served  the  renewed  attachment.  But  the  person  of  all  others 
whose  eyes  were  widest  open  to  the  conduct  of  the  young 
woman  was  the  stalwart  Gosee,  her  intended  husband.  His 
jealousy  was  again  aroused,  and  it  was  but  natural  that  his  par 
tially  suppressed  hatred  towards  his  more  favored  rival  should 


350  YEARS  AGO.  195 

occasionally  manifest  itself.  He  could  not  fail  to  notice  that 
Alola  sought  the  companionship  of  Manuelo  more  than  was 
prudent  for  a  person  under  an  engagement  of  marriage  to 
another.  To  allay  suspicion  as  far  as  it  might,  the  time  was 
prudently  employed  on  such  occasions  by  Manuelo  in  relating 
to  the  girl,  as  he  did  over  and  over  again,  the  story  of  his  ad 
ventures  with  the  Modens.  She  never  grew  tired  of  listening  to 
the  narration  of  his  perils  and  hardships,  and  some  of  the  more 
harrowing  passages  excited  in  her  the  warmest  sympathy.  To 
her  alone,  in  the  narration,  he  added  an  account  of  his  dream 
at  the  Hot  Sulphur  Springs,  and  also  ventured  to  give  her  in 
detail  his  vision  on  Tamalpais;  both  of  which  were  related  in  a 
manner  to  excite  in  her  the  liveliest  interest.  The  mystery  of 
these  communications  to  the  listener  was  profound  ;  but  to  Man 
uelo,  whose  experience  in  early  life  had  been  such  as  to  give 
direction  to  lines  of  thought  which  might  develop  into  such 
prophetic  views,  they  were  less  mysterious.  More  particularly 
interested  was  Alola  in  what,  pertained  to  her  own  sex,  and  she 
was  led  to  indulge  in  many  inquiries  concerning  the  apparel 
and  appearance  of  so  strange  a  people  as  were  described  in  the 
dreams. 

LXV. 

A  FLIGHT  CONSIDERED. 

MANUELO  was  fully  admonished  of  the  embarrassment 
that  must  certainly  result  from  permitting  matters  to  drift  along 
in  their  present  channel,  until  the  opening  of  the  approaching 
spring,  when  the  long-existing  engagement  between  those  two 
prominent  members  of  the  Santos  nation  must,  in  due  course, 
be  consummated.  This  harrowing  reflection  seemed  to  pro 
duce  less  impression  upon  the  mind  of  the  girl,  who  was  to  be 
a  party  to  the  marriage,  than  upon  Manuelo's.  Like  the  rest  of 
her  race  she  was  more  given  to  fatalism  than  he,  and  conse 
quently  less  heed  was  paid  by  her  to  the  impending  calamity. 


196  CALIFORNIA 

It  must  not  be  inferred,  however,  that  she  was  wholly  oblivious 
of  the  distressing  facts  of  the  case;  by  no  means.  Even  her 
present  satisfaction  in  the  society  of  Manuelo,  though  intense, 
was  not  of  such  a  character  as  to  obliterate  from  her  mind  all 
sense  of  the  threatened  danger.  She  was  only  a  little  less  sen 
sible  of  it  than  her  ardent  Spanish  lover,  that  is  all. 

As  for  Manuelo,  his  soul  was  so  thoroughly  penetrated  with 
the  situation  that  he  ceased  not  to  contemplate  the  subject, 
and  to  devise  plans  for  escape,  first  one  and  then  another,  out 
of  the  difficulty.  Sometimes,  and  in  spite  of  himself,  his  mind 
would  recur  to  the  suggestion  of  an  elopement  (made,  as  he 
remembered,  before  his  expedition  against  the  Modens)  as  a 
resort  in  case  of  emergency.  After  much  serious  reflection, 
this  subject  was  broached  anew,  not  this  time  by  the  maiden, 
but  by  Manuelo  himself,  and  it  was  discussed  between  the 
lovers  alone  whenever  an  opportunity  offered.  But  whither 
should  they  flee?  that  was  the  question.  It  was  a  most  difficult 
point  to  decide,  and  the  settlement  of  it  gave  them  an  infinite 
amount  of  trouble.  There  was  one  point  of  the  compass,  how 
ever,  about  which  there  was  no  hesitancy  in  arriving  at  a  con 
clusion.  That  direction  presented  no  attractions  to  Manuelo, 
at  least;  it  was  the  direction  of  the  Modens.  He  was  quite 
content  with  his  past  experience  in  that  quarter. 

As  a  matter  of  actual  fact,  the  lovers  were  not  so  very  greatly 
restricted  in  point  of  time,  in  this  case,  since  several  changes  of 
the  moon  must  intervene  before  the  Florales  would  arrive; 
nevertheless,  time  was  flitting,  and  each  day  was  one  less  for 
the  business  before  them.  Every  departing  sun  but  added  its 
modicum  to  the  already  distressing  suspense  of  the  parties.  If 
it  added  also  to  the  hopes  of  the  expectant  bridegroom,  the  im 
patient  Gosee,  it  is  but  natural,  and  without  doubt  he  was  as 
much  annoyed  by  the  tardiness  of  time  as  the  real  lovers  were 
with  its  remarkable  speed. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  197 

Manuelo  in  the  meantime  was  duly  active  in  obtaining  in 
formation  concerning  the  countries  and  peoples  in  other  direc 
tions  than  the  north,  and  was  immensely  gratified  to  learn  that 
the  native  inhabitants  to  the  southward  were,  and  long  had 
been,  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Santos.  This  doubtless  was 
the  more  pleasing  to  him  because  of  his  disagreeable  expe 
rience  with  the  people  at  the  opposite  point  of  the  compass. 

It  was  really  for  the  purpose  of  reconnoissance  and  observa 
tion,  though  ostensibly  for  game,  that  hunting  excursions  to  the 
southward  were  set  on  foot.  Some  of  these,  at  the  instigation 
of  Manuelo,  were  pushed  quite  beyond  any  limit  theretofore 
attained  by  the  warriors  or  hunters  of  the  Santos  nation.  One 
in  particular  extended  a  great  many  leagues,  and  occupied 
many  days  in  the  performance.  On  this  occasion  they  pene 
trated  the  territory  of  an  unknown  tribe,  who  lived  beyond  sev 
eral  ranges  of  mountains;  but  the  adventurous  hunters,  with  due 
caution,  forebore  to  make  known  their  presence  to  the  people 
residing  there,  since  all  were  in  doubt  as  to  the  temper  that 
might  be  displayed  toward  encroaching  game  seekers,  and 
Manuelo,  above  ail,  was  unwilling  to  run  any  risk  of  detention 
among  them.  The  real  object  of  this  adventure  was  unsus 
pected  by  his  companions,  but  the  result  was  highly  gratifying 
to  Manuelo  himself,  and  settled  his  purpose  as  to  the  course 
he  should  pursue  in  case  of  flight  with  his  beloved  Alola. 

The  disposition  to  inquietude  which  characterizes  all  persons 
brought  up  to  the  sea,  had  never  been  eradicated  from  the  nat 
ure  of  our  hero,  and  with  him,  therefore,  there  was  less  hesi 
tancy  about  undertaking  a  movement  like  the  one  contem 
plated  than  otherwise  would  have  been,  and  less  than  naturally 
belonged  to  Alola,  who  had  seen  but  little  of  the  world,  and 
who  could  form  but  an  inadequate  conception  of  its  vast  ex 
tent.  Her  knowledge  of  geography  was  limited  by  the  hills, 
the  mountains,  the  Bay,  and  that  little  part  of  the  ocean  near 
her  native  home;  and  this  seemed  large  enough  for  all  purposes 


198  CALIFORNIA 

until  the  necessity  for  an  elopement  arose,  when  the  world,  as 
known  to  her,  became  at  once  exceedingly  small.  The  fact 
being  confessed,  Manuelo  was  everything  to  her.  Any  place 
with  him  was  large  enough,  and  all  the  earth  too  small  without 
him. 

Casting  this  love  affair  aside,  and  Manuelo  had  may  rea 
sons  to  be  content  where  he  was.  His  associations  with  the 
Santos  had  been,  as  a  general  thing,  of  the  most  satisfactory 
character.  The  people  had  fairly  overwhelmed  him  with  kind 
ness  ever  since  his  first  appearance  amongst  them;  and  but  for 
his  relations  towards  Alola  he  would  have  remained  there  no 
one  knows  how  long.  But  Alola  was  his  guiding  star.  For 
her  he  was  but  too  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  and  incur  any 
danger.  Life  itself  was  not  too  great  a  boon  to  lay  at  her  feet. 
An  elopement  he  knew  was  fraught  with  perils,  and  if  under 
taken  would  have  to  be  conducted  with  the  utmost  caution, 
since  a  failure  would  be  likely  to  prove  fatal  to  both. 

The  Santos,  though  brave  and  generous,  were  at  the  same 
time,  like  all  other  uncivilized  people,  revengeful,  and  would 
be  quite  sure  to  visit  any  attempt  at  treachery  with  the  severest 
penalties.  He  had  no  doubt  that  his  own  life,  and  he  greatly 
feared  the  life  of  his  fair  companion,  would  depend  upon  the 
success  of  the  enterprise.  This  opinion  he  was  at  great  pains 
to  impress  upon  the  mind  of  the  confiding  Alola;  but  instead 
of  softening  her  purpose,  it  only  tended  to  strengthen  her 
determination.  She  was  no  less  resolute  than  himself  in  the 
determination  to  seek,  by  flight,  that  happiness  which  was 
denied  her  by  the  laws  of  her  forefathers;  and  they  deliberately 
resolved  by  themselves  together  to  offer  up  their  lives,  if  need 
be,  upon  the  altar  of  love. 

The  usual  perplexity  to  know  just  how  the  thing  was  to  be 
successfully  accomplished,  weighed  so  heavily  upon  their  minds 
that  it  was  with  difficulty  they  could  conceal  their  purpose  from 
others.  Preparation  for  the  journey  could  only  be  made  in  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  199 

most  secret  manner,  and  the  initiation  of  the  movement  did  not 
seem  possible,  without  imminent  danger  of  detection.  But 
Manuelo's  discretion  forsook  him  not,  and  he  calmly  concluded 
that  the  first  step,  so  to  speak,  should  be  accomplished  by 
water.  His  familiarity  with  that  element  probably  induced  this 
idea,  for  it  was  very  distinct  from  the  plan  proposed  by  Alola, 
who  was  willing  to  take  the  chances  in  a  race,  in  case  of  pur 
suit,  with  so  much  of  advantage  in  the  start  as  could  be  gained 
in  one  night  and  the  part  of  a  day,  as  she  hoped.  Pursued 
they  both  knew  they  certainly  would  be  in  that  case,  and  as 
they  could  take  with  them  only  a  small  stock  of  provisions,  and 
of  personal  comforts  but  a  limited  supply,  they  must  of  neces 
sity  make  themselves  known  on  the  route,  after  the  first  few 
days,  to  such  people  as  might  be  living  by  the  way.  Hence  it 
would  not  be  difficult  for  the  swift-footed  Santos  to  ascertain 
their  general  course,  and  at  last  to  overtake  them.  This  was 
all  pondered  well  by  the  cautious  Manuelo,  and  his  plan  as 
finally  concluded  upon  was  to  set  out,  some  fine  morning,  a 
few  days  in  advance  of  the  feast,  they  two  in  a  canoe  alone, 
on  a  fishing  excursion  on  the  Bay,  and  after  proceeding  by  such 
conveyance  as  far  as  was  practicable,  to  abandon  the  canoe 
and  pursue  their  journey  by  land.  There  was  a  well-grounded 
apprehension  in  his  mind  that  suspicion  would  be  aroused  by 
the  circumstance  of  their  going  together,  and  unaccompanied 
by  anyone  else,  and  here  was  the  first  obstacle  to  be  surmounted. 
To  allay  apprehension  growing  out  of  this  circumstance,  a  fish 
ing  expedition  of  the  kind  mentioned  was  made  the  subject 
of  conversation  not  only  between  themselves  but  with  other 
members  of  the  tribe  on  divers  occasions,  and  some  time  in 
advance  of  the  contemplated  departure,  though,  of  course,  no 
particular  day  was  mentioned  by  either  for  the  undertaking. 
This  ruse  was  adopted  in  order  that  no  considerable  excite 
ment  should  be  aroused  among  their  friends  when  their  absence 
might  be  ascertained.  And  then  they  must  needs  make  their 


200  CALIFORNIA 

calculations  to  go  quietly  away  lest  meddlesome  persons  should 
be  inclined  to  accompany  them, likewise,  in  canoes;  and  hence 
their  purpose  was  to  start  early  in  the  morning,  before  the  peo 
ple  generally  were  aroused.  Thus  they  hoped  to  avoid  the  lia 
bility  of  being  followed  by  other  fishing  parties,  and  yet  they 
would  not  start  so  early  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  sin 
ister  motive.  It  was  Manuelo's  design  to  leave  the  canoe, 
when  they  had  done  with  it,  afloat  on  the  Bay,  and  he  was 
hopeful  that  a  favorable  wind  would  drive  it  back  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  city,  to  produce  an  impression  on  the  minds  of  the 
people,  when  they  should  discover  the  empty  craft,  that  its  late 
occupants  had  found  a  watery  grave. 

The  time  of  their  departure  was,  for  that  reason,  to  be  gov 
erned  somewhat  by  the  course  of  the  winds  and  the  tides. 
Another  plan  much  considered  was  to  so  gauge  the  time  of  the 
flight  that  the  canoe  would  float  out  to  sea,  when  they  had  left  it, 
and  never  be  heard  of  more,  in  which  case  the  people  might  con 
clude  that  its  unhappy  occupants  had  gone  with  it  upon  the 
boundless  ocean  and  were  lost.  But  this  idea  was  not  regarded 
so  favorably  as  the  first,  since  the  people  of  the  city,  many  of 
whom  were  shrewd  men  and  women,  would  hardly  believe  that 
Manuelo  could  be  so  thoughtless  as  to  be  caught  a  second  time 
on  the  fast-ebbing  tides  that  rushed  periodically  from  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor.  Those  tides  they  knew  were  well  under 
stood  by  him,  and  consequently  this  second  plan  was  dis 
missed  from  their  minds. 

Manuelo  had  now  more  than  ever  occasion  to  deplore  the 
loss  of  his  trusty  sword  and  pistols,  of  which  he  had  been 
deprived  by  the  savage  Modens.  Armed  with  these  he  would 
have  felt  greater  security  in  this  perilous  undertaking,  but  he 
was  compelled  to  content  himself  with  a  spear,  and  with  a  bow 
and  a  few  arrows,  in  the  use  of  which,  however,  he  had  become, 
by  constant  practice,  almost  as  expert  as  the  natives. 

After  the  plan  was  fully  concluded  upon  between  the  anx- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  201 

ious  lovers,  but  some  time  before  it  was  to  be  carried  into  effect, 
Manuelo  pretended  to  have  received,  in  his  character  as  prophet, 
a  communication  from  the  land  of  spirits,  which  he  hoped 
might,  in  an  emergency,  be  of  some  avail  to  him  in  the  flight; 
but  he  made  no  application  of  it  either  to  himself  or  Alola. 
It  ran  as  follows  : — 

A  man  and  a  maiden  a- fishing  will  go, 
But  into  what  waters  no  person  shall  know. 
Many  fish  they  will  catch  and  many  will  fetch, 
If,  in  fishing  for  fish,  no  fish  shall  them  catch. 

Little  was  thought  of  this  at  the  time,  but  both  he  and  Alola 
were  at  some  pains,  by  repeating  it  often,  to  impress  it  upon 
the  minds  of  the  people,  in  order  that  it  might  be  remembered 
when  they  should  fail  to  return  from  their  contemplated  fish 
ing  excursion.  They  would  have  it  understood,  when  gone,  that 
they  had  been  attacked  and  devoured  by  some  sea  monster, 
and  by  such  strategy  avoid  the  danger  of  being  pursued  by 
their  friends. 

All  preparations  that  were  possible  to  make,  surrounded  as 
they  were  by  a  thousand  sharp  eyes,  having  been  completed, 
the  lovers  only  awaited  the  arrival  of  a  favorable  day  for  set 
ting  out  on  their  long  journey,  a  journey  which  by  them  was 
truly  regarded,  as  all  such  journeys  should  be,  as  the  journey 
of  life,  but  which  they  fully  comprehended  might  be,  in  case  of 
mishap,  a  journey  to  their  doom. 

Heralds  had  already  gone  forth  from  the  capital,  in  every 
direction,  to  notify  the  many  villages  of  the  nation  of  the  time 
appointed  for  the  Festival  of  Flowers,  and  to  inform  all  that  the 
principal  occurrence  to  be  celebrated  on  that  joyous  occasion 
was  the  marriage  of  the  chiefs  beautiful  daughter  to  the  gallant 
son  of  the  old  ex-king  and  high  priest.  This  expected  event 
was  likely  to  bring  a  far  larger  concourse  of  men  and  women 
together  than  usual.  It  had  long  been  looked  forward  to  by  all 
the  people  of  the  city,  and  particularly  by  those  about  the  larger 


202  CALIFORNIA 

central  dwellings,  with  the  greatest  anxiety,  and  the  fair  Alola 
was  congratulated  every  day,  and  every  hour  of  the  day,  on  the 
approaching  happy  event,  as  it  was  regarded. 

Robes  of  the  finest  of  white  rabbit  skins,  and  the  skins  of 
other  small  animals,  were  prepared  most  tastefully  for  the 
bride;  and  head  ornaments  of  brilliant  feathers  and  shining 
shells  were  constructed  both  for  her  and  the  expectant  bride 
groom,  by  the  industrious  women  of  the  place.  The  most 
beautiful  gifts  of  various  sorts  were  fabricated  in  abundance 
in  the  city  for  wedding  presents,, and  the  people  of  all  the 
country  ruled  over  by  her  father  were  expected  to  bring  in 
other  gifts,  equally  attractive,  to  contribute  to  the  wealth  and 
happiness  of  the  distinguished  couple. 

Little  did  anyone,  except  the  astute  Manuelo,  imagine  that 
these  preparations,  so  far  from  adding  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
princess,  only  made  her  the  more  miserable,  and  it  required 
the  greatest  exertion,  as  Manuelo  could  plainly  perceive,  on 
the  part  of  the  poor  damsel  to  conceal  her  embarrassment, 
which  became  greater  and  greater  as  time  rolled  by  and 
brought  her  nearer  and  nearer  to  her  apparent  fate.  Unso 
phisticated  as  she  was,  with  difficulty  could  she  hide  from 
general  observation  the  anxiety  that  preyed  upon  her  mind; 
but  it  was  attributed  by  her  female  companions  to  an  entirely 
different  cause  from  the  true  one.  By  them  her  silent  de 
meanor  and  many  blushes  were  readily  interpreted  as  indicat 
ing  that  maidenly  sensibility  which  one  must  feel  on  the  eve 
of  exchanging  her  girlish  estate  for  the  responsible  duties  of 
womanhood;  and,  fortunately  for  her  and  Manuelo,  the  real 
cause  of  her  disquietude  was  never  so  much  as  suspected  by 
those  about  her. 


350  YEARS  AGO,  203 

LXVI. 

THE  ELOPEMENT. 

UNFRIENDLY  weather  and  adverse  winds  delayed  the 
excursion  until  delay  was  no  longer  to  be  tolerated,  and  the 
lovers  finally  fixed  upon  a  time,  only  three  days  in  advance  of 
the  commencement  of  the  festivities,  as  the  period  for  setting 
out  on  their  uncertain  journey,  be  the  weather  what  it  might. 
Most  fortunately  for  them,  on  the  day  appointed  the  winds 
were  propitious,  and  the  two  friends  met  as  it  were  by  chance, 
in  the  usual  way,  early  in  the  morning  on  the  sandy  beach, 
and  without  delay,  but  with  some  trepidation,  embarked  in 
their  lonely  canoe.  The  lazy  morning  sun  arising  from  his 
slumbers  discovered  them  several  leagues  away  from  the 
shore  upon  the  watery  expanse;  but,  so  far  as  they  could  judge, 
no  human  being  witnessed  their  departure,  or  knew  of  their 

going-  f 

They  were  both  skillful  in  the  management  of  their  tiny 
craft,  and,  not  late  in  the  afternoon,  they  effected  a  safe  land 
ing  at  precisely  the  point  designated  by  Manuelo  in  advance, 
on  the  southwesterly  side  of  the  Bay,  near  the  base  of  a 
mountain  since  then  called  San  Bruno.  The  canoe  was  at 
once  stripped  of  all  its  contents,  and  made  to  appear  as  if  it 
had  been  emptied  by  capsizing.  This  accomplished  it  was 
set  adrift,  with  a  wind  so  blowing  as  to  be  likely  to  drive  it 
back  nearly  in  the  direction  it  had  come. 

After  congratulating  each  other  upon  the  success  of  their 
movement  thus  far,  the  two,  as  a  first  duty,  dispensed  with 
everything  that  they  deemed  might  impede  their  flight,  care 
fully  concealing  from  the  view  of  possible  pursuers  all  that  was 
to  be  left  behind.  Taking  with  them  only  such  robes  and 
provisions  as  they  could  well  carry,  they  assumed  their  line  of 
march  to  the  southward. 

They  were  now  traveling  they  knew  not  exactly  whither,  nor 


204  CALIFORNIA 

did  either  much  care,  only  so  it  might  be  to  some  quiet  place 
in  the  wide  world,  where  they  could  enjoy  each  other's  society 
for  all  time  without  interruption.  There  was  to  be  constant 
danger  of  encountering  beasts  of  prey,  but  these  were  dreaded 
far  less,  at  the  outset,  than  creatures  of  their  own  kind;  and 
their  chief  care  during  the  balance  of  the  first  day  was  to  ob 
serve  any  traces  of  humanity  that  might  exist,  and  to  avoid 
running  upon  some  stray  settlement  of  the  natives. 

They  were  less  apprehensive  of  encountering  hunting  parties 
at  this  season  of  the  year,  knowing  that  the  villagers  there 
abouts,  if  any  there  were,  must  be  engaged  in  the  preparations 
for  the  great  feast  at  the  capital,  to  which  they  would  have  to 
be  starting  in  a  day  or  two,  at  furthest,  if  they  would  be  in 
lime. 

As  a  matter  of  caution  the  lovers  kept  away  from  the  shore, 
and  skirted  the  base  of  the  mountains,  making  the  best  progress 
they  could  under  that  disadvantage;  but  it  was  a  much  more 
difficult  route  than  one  along  the  open  plain  would  have  been. 

The  pair  were  already  as  happy  in  each  other's  company  as 
it  was  possible  for  fugitives  to  be,  and  each  was  heard  to  in 
dulge  in  frequent  expressions  of  solicitude  for  the  other's  safety. 

Resting  but  little  during  the  afternoon  of  that  long,  weary 
day,  and  only  then  to  observe  well  their  course,  they  passed 
a  numbe-r  of  villages  in  the  distance,  the  locations  of  some  of 
which  were  already  known  to  Manuelo,  having  been  spied  out 
by  him  in  advance. 

Just  as  sable  night  was  letting  fall  her  curtain  upon  the  dark 
green  earth,  and  all  nature  seemed  in  search  of  needed  rest, 
the  wanderers  found  themselves  by  the  side  of  some  bubbling 
mineral  springs,  located  opposite  to  the  head  of  the  great  Bay, 
in  sight  of  which  they  had  been  traveling  since  noon,  and  here 
they  concluded  to  rest  for  the  night.  It  need  not  be  told  that 
they  slept  soundly,  for  Alola,  unaccustomed  to  that  sort  of 
thing,  was  nearly  exhausted  by  the  long  tramp  of  that  day,  and 


350  YEARS  AGO.  205 

Manuelo  himself,  but  for  the  concern  felt  for  his  fair  com 
panion,  would  have  been  unable  to  proceed  further  without 
repose. 

How  far  they  had  actually  come  may  possibly  be  ascertained 
by  geographers  of  later  times,  from  the  data  here  given,  but 
the  distance  there  was  then  no  means  of  determining  except 
from  the  extreme  lassitude  of  the  weaker  partner  in  the  flight, 
judging  from  which  Manuelo  thought  it  might  be  twenty 
leagues,  and  even  more.  But  sleep  restored  the  wonted  vigor 
of  both,  and  when,  as  Justino  expressed  it,  the  circling  hours 
with  rosy  hands  unbarred  the  gates  of  night,  and  Phoebus, 
with  her  shining  face,  came  forth  in  chariot  bright,  they  were 
awakened  by  the  sweet  music  of  the  birds,  which,  in  the  over 
hanging  foliage  of  the  great  tree  under  which  they  slept,  were 
celebrating  their  own  nuptials  with  songs. 

The  lovers,  refreshed  with  their  long  repose,  arose  and 
prepared  for  a  renewal  of  their  journey.  Their  hour  of  start 
ing  was  not  so  early  as  on  the  previous  morning,  nor  was  it 
beset  with  such  intense  anxiety  as  that  had  been.  They  were 
now  under  no  necessity  for  slipping  away  surreptitiously  to 
avoid  the  peeping  eyes  of  men  and  women,  as  they  had  been 
but  yesterday.  The  only  observers  of  their  present  position 
were  the  merry  feathered  songsters,  the  innocent  rabbit,  and 
the  soft-eyed  antelope,  and  to  these  the  gentle  lovers  paid 
little  heed,  as  none  of  them  were  capable  of  exciting  either 
fear  or  jealousy,  and  their  presence  was  by  no  means  unwel 
come. 

The  conspicuous  landmarks  of  the  country  thus  far,  such 
as  bay,  mountains,  and  hills,  were  tolerably  well  known  to  the 
fugitives,  and  particularly  to  Manuelo,  who  had  taken  special 
pains  to  inform  himself  about  them,  with  a  view  to  the  use 
such  knowledge  might  be  to  him  on  an  occasion  like  the 
present.  These  being  observed  as  they  proceeded,  the  second 
day  at  its  close  found  the  happy  couple  in  the  unalloyed  en- 


206  CALIFORNIA 

joyment  of  each  other's  society  a  little  over  the  summit  of  a 
considerable  range  of  mountains  to  the  westward,  and  in  plain 
view  of  the  ocean,  a  sight  that  was  always  cheering  to  Manuelo. 

But  an  incident  occurred  on  this  day's  journey  which  must 
not  be  omitted,  as  it  came  as  near  as  possible  not  to  succeed 
in  balking  all  their  calculations.  Ascending  the  mountain 
just  mentioned,  by  a  well-marked  trail,  they  came  almost  upon, 
and  would  have  met  face  to  face,  a  large  procession  of  people 
on  their  journey  to  the  feast.  There  were  men  and  women, 
young  men  and  maidens,  a  hundred  or  more,  wending  their 
way  towards  the  city  by  the  Bay.  The  keen  ear  of  Alola 
detected  the  merry  laughter  of  the  advance  guard  of  young 
people  just  in  time  to  enable  herself  and  companion  to  secrete 
themselves  in  the  convenient  undergowth  of  the  forest.  The 
troop  of  pleasure-seekers  passed  on  their  course  and  were  soon 
out  of  sight  and  hearing.  As  they  filed  by  she  could  plainly 
hear  them  conversing  merrily,  but  earnestly,  about  herself  and 
Gosee,  and  for  the  first  time  she  realized  the  great  disappoint 
ment  her  absence  must  cause  to  the  people  on  that  festive 
occasion.  Without  regretting  the  step  she  had  taken,  she 
could  but  feel  sorry,  nevertheless,  that  there  was  no  other  way 
of  securing  happiness  to  herself  and  Manuelo,  but  by  destroy 
ing  so  much  of  it  in  others. 

The  danger  passed,  the  lovers  came  forth  from  their  hiding- 
place  and  renewed  their  journey.  This  incident  was  a  warning 
to  observe  greater  caution  in  the  future,  for  Alola  was  too  well- 
known  throughout  the  land  to  be  disguised,  and  the  appearance 
of  Manuelo,  as  a  man  of  a  distinct  race,  was  too  conspicuous 
to  be  overlooked  by  anyone,  in  case  they  should  unhappily  be 
discovered.  Their  only  safety  lay  in  escaping  detection  by 
any  human  being  until  they  could  pass  entirely  beyond  the 
kingdom  of  the  Santos,  and  that,  they  judged,  must  require 
a  diligent  journey  of  many  days ;  but  how  many  neither  could 
guess.  They  were  convinced  that  numerous  villages  skirted 


350  YEARS  AGO.  207 

the  ocean,  and  danger  in  consequence  must  be  lurking  there; 
nevertheless,  as  they  looked  off  upon  its  placid  surface,  they 
could  not  resist  an  inclination  to  approach  it,  and  such  accord 
ingly  was  their  determination  for  the  following  day. 

Selecting  a  quiet,  grassy  nook  on  the  steep  mountain-slope, 
thickly  bespangled  with  sweet-scented  flowers,  they  encamped  for 
the  second  night.  A  new  world  was  now  opening  to  the  aston 
ished  vision  of  Alola.  Hitherto  she  had  formed  no  conception 
of  the  vastness  of  the  creation  of  which  she  formed  a  part. 
The  horizon  here  was  many  times  farther  away  than  she  had 
•ever  observed  it  before,  and  the  declining  sun  lighted  up  with 
the  most  brilliant  colors  the  whole  western  sky.  The  sea 
shone  with  a  luster  only  surpassed  by  that  of  the  great  orb  of 
day,  and  reflected  upon  the  intervening  space  between  where 
she  stood  and  the  ocean,  those  peculiar  tints  only  visible  at  the 
season  of  the  year  when  nature  first  puts  on  her  robes  of 
green  to  greet  the  approach  of  summer.  Though  weary  with 
the  day's  tramp,  she  could  hardly  persuade  herself  that  she 
was  not  already  in  that  Heaven  of  which  she  had  heard  so 
much  from  the  lips  of  her  Manuelo.  On  a  bed  of  roses,  so 
to  speak,  but  without  the  thorns,  here  they  slept  and  dreamed 
only  of  happiness  for  the  future. 

Their  starting  the  next  day  was  not  early,  for  the  fugitives 
chose  to  abide  in  this  enchanted  place  to  welcome  the  rising 
sun,  which  was  '  slow  to  make  his  appearance  above  the 
mountain-crest.  In  the  meantime  Alola  joined  her  gentle 
voice  with  the  carols  of  the  equally  happy  birds,  and  the  whole 
place  re-echoed  with  their  music,  while  Manuelo  made  ready 
for  the  journey.  Descending  from  the  mountain  was  an  easy 
task,  and  their  resting-place  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day 
was  on  the  strand,  where  they  were  hushed  to  sleep  by  the 
waves  breaking  upon  the  shore. 

The  fourth  day  was  mainly  spent  in  reconnoissances  by 
Manuelo,  and  in  carefully  circumventing  several  villages,  which 


208  CALIFORNIA 

were  discovered  all  in  good  time  to  be  avoided,  and  less  prog 
ress  was  made  than  on  any  day  previously.  Their  course,  in 
consequence  of  these  dangerous  obstacles,  was  exceedingly 
tortuous,  and  they  were  both  distressed  to  think  that  so  little 
real  headway  had  been  made  since  leaving  camp  in  the  morn 
ing.  At  the  end  of  this  day  they  were  still  by  the  sea  and 
were  comforted  in  their  disappointment  by  its  ceaseless  music. 
To  Manuelo  the  ocean  was  like  an  old  friend.  He  was  en 
tranced  by  the  ever-recurring  motion  of  its  billows,  and  he 
enjoyed,  he  said,  the  society  of  his  beautiful  companion  by  its 
side  more,  if  possible,  than  when  wandering  in  the  solitude 
of  the  mountains.  There  was  even  danger  of  his  being 
soothed  by  its  grand  old  cadence  into  forgetfulness  of  the 
necessity  of  prosecuting  their  flight  with  the  utmost  vigor. 
The  pensive  quietude  which  is  so  apt  to  come  over  young  per 
sons  when  strolling  on  the  smooth,  sandy  beach,  seized  hold  of 
the  romantic  soul  of  Alola  as  well,  and  they  lingered  longer 
than  was  prudent.  More  progress  they  were  conscious  would 
have  been  made  had  they  adhered  to  the  base  of  the  mount 
ains  instead  of  the  shore,  but  they  reasoned  within  themselves 
that  jeopardy  was  in  whichsoever  way  they  went,  and  they 
therefore  yielded  the  more  readily  to  the  fascinations  of  the 
breakers,  preferring  to  take  their  chances  where  pleasures  were 
most  plentiful. 

Speculations  indulged  in,  however,  upon  what  must  then  be 
transpiring  at  home,  spurred  them  up  to  greater  exertions,  and 
their  journey  for  the  fifth  day,  as  they  could  see  from  the 
position  of  certain  mountain-peaks,  was  not  altogether  unsatis 
factory.  They  rested  for  that  night  on  the  margin  of  a  small 
river,  a  league  it  might  have  been  back  from  the  ocean,  but 
still  within  sound  of  its  breakers.  During  the  course  of  this 
long  day,  they  passed  in  sight  of  several  villages,  one  of  which 
they  could  see  from  an  eminence  was  very  large;  and  they 
narrowly  escaped,  more  than  once,  coming  in  collision  with 


350  YEARS  AGO.  209 

parties  of  men,  women,  and  children  who  were  out  on  one  ex 
pedition  or  another.  They  were  actually  seen  from  a  distance 
by  a  company  of  half-grown  boys  and  girls,  but,  hurrying  along, 
made  good  their  escape.  So  far  as  they  could  learn  no  alarm 
was  created  by  this  event,  but  their  haste  was  increased  thereby 
in  order  to  get  beyond  the  reach  of  possible  pursuit. 

The  nations  to  the  southward,  for  an  indefinite  distance,  be 
ing  on  terms  of  peace  with  the  Santos,  it  was  the  wish  of  the 
fugitives  to  go  so  far  in  that  direction  before  indulging  in  any 
considerable  halt,  and  before  making  themselves  known,  as  to 
be.  entirely  safe  against  invidious  inquiries,  and  there  to  tarry  for 
rest  at  least,  and,  perchance,  for  a  permanent  home.  This  was 
as  far  as  their  calculations  extended;  nor  had  they  any  more 
definite  object  in  view.  But  the  world  was  all  before  them 
where  to  choose  a  place  of  repose,  and  Providence  their  guide. 
They  felt  themselves  excluded  only  from  that  little  portion 
which  had  been  left  behind,  but  that  at  times  appeared  ex 
tremely  large  to  the  diminutive  Alola. 

The  whole  world,  however,  as  Justino  has  informed  us,  was 
less  to  her  than  Manuelo.  With  him  for  a  possession  it  mat 
tered  little  whether  what  remained  was  small  or  great.  Him 
she  had  now  gained,  and  in  her  imagination  there  was  not 
much  beside  worth  living  for.  She  preferred  Manuelo  with 
trials,  trepidations,  fears,  and  flight  to  the  peace  and  abundance 
of  a  princess.  She  was  better  content  to  be  a  slave,  if  need 
be,  with  her  lover,  than  a  queen,  as  she  was  very  likely  to  be 
come,  with  Gosee,  and  her  heart  was  light,  however  burdened 
her  mind  may  have  been  with  the  cares  and  fears  of  the  flight. 

For  greater  security  their  time,  while  on  the  march,  was 
spent  mostly  in  silence,  but  when  resting  and  at  night  the 
hours  were  beguiled  by  stories  which  Manuelo  related  of  his 
own  adventures,  and  stories  that  he  had  heard  and  read  in  his 
boyhood  days. 

The  delightful  tale  of  Abelard  and  Heloise  was  told  with  all 


210  CALIFORNIA 

the  embellishments,  and  the  relation  of  it  ran  through  more 
than  one  evening;  but  Alola  was  never  tired  of  listening  to 
stories  from  a  lover  whose  attachment  was  even  stronger  than 
that  of  the  unfortunate  Abelard,  for  the  love  of  Heloise,  we 
are  assured  by  Justino,  was  all  surpassed  by  that  of  Alola  for 
her  instructor  and  companion  in  flight. 

So  little  is  said,  and  that  so  indefinitely,  about  the  transac 
tions  of  the  sixth  day,  that  it  were  as  well,  perhaps,  to  omit 
them  entirely  in  the  translation ;  and  such  was  the  intention 
until  there  was  observed  in  the  manuscript,  written  in  the 
native  tongue  of  Manuelo,  the  words,  "  El  Monte,"  which, 
rendered  in  English,  mean  the  grove,  or  the  woods;  and  it  was 
in  a  grove  of  pines  and  oaks,  charmingly  intermingled,  that  the 
lovers  pitched  their  tent,  figuratively  speaking,  but,  in  plain 
language,  built  their  bower  for  the  night  of  the  sixth  day.  The 
place  was  but  a  short  way,  some  three  hundred  varas  as  Justino 
expresses  it,  from  a  quiet  nook  of  the  ocean,  and  scarcely 
further  to  the  eastward  from  a  small  rivulet  that  put  into  the 
sea  at  that  point.  Here  Manuelo,  before  retiring  for  the  night, 
at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  romantic  Alola,  finished  up 
the  story  of  Abelard  and  Heloise. 

The  first  part  of  that  strange,  eventful  history  was  so  exactly 
similar,  in  many  respects,  to  their  own  experience  up  to  this 
time,  so  replete  with  love  and  devotion,  which  had  their  incep 
tion  in  the  relations  of  teacher  and  pupil,  but  which  were  only 
promoted  by  absconding  together,  that  when  Manuelo  came  to 
relate  the  latter  part  of  that  saddest  of  stories,  the  poor  Alola 
was  stricken  with  fear,  lest,  peradventure,  the  parallelism  might 
be  continued  in  their  own  case,  and  the  loves  of  herself  and 
Manuelo  encounter,  at  last,  some  insuperable  obstacle.  But 
Manuelo  soothed  the  tender  mind  of  the  maiden  by  assuring 
her  that  though  Abelard  and  Heloise  were  separated  by  cruel 
fate  for  years  and  years,  nevertheless  they  came  together  after 
wards,  and  were  finally  buried  in  the  same  grave. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  211 

In  the  morning  everything  about  them  appeared  so  ravish- 
ingly  beautiful  that  the  lovers  agreed  between  themselves,  then 
and  there,  that  they  could  spend  the  balance  of  their  days  in 
contentment  on  that  very  spot  were  it  not  for  the  danger  that 
some  curious  serpent  would  invade  their  terrestrial  paradise. 
The  deep-shaded  atmosphere  of  the  locality,  at  once  res 
onant  with  the  cheerful  music  of  innumerable  feathered 
songsters,  and  redolent  with  the  most  captivating  odors  of 
flowers,  was  entrancingly  attractive  to  them.  In  very  truth,  all 
their  senses  were  gratified  to  repletion  in  this  most  fascinating, 
this  heavenly  place,  and  they  were  charmed  as  never  before. 
There  being  no  words  in  the  Spanish  language  to  express  their 
happiness^and  none  suitable  found  in  the  English,  the  subject, 
from  sheer  necessity,  is  turned  over  to  the  imagination  of  the 
gentle  reader.  But  the  moaning  of  the  lazy  morning  zephyrs 
in  the  tall  pines,  mingled  with  the  plaintive  notes  of  a  turtle-dove 
perched  upon  an  oak  nearly  over  their  heads,  reminded  these 
children  of  nature  that  other  matters  than  love  should  engage 
a  part  of  their  attention,  and  the  two,  tearing  themselves 
away  from  the  enchanted  spot,  hand  in  hand  renewed  their 
weary  journey.  Our  first  parents,  thought  Justino,  left  their 
Elysian  home  when  commanded  by  the  Almighty  to  sally  forth 
into  the  troublesome  world  with  scarcely  more  reluctance  than 
did  Manuelo  and  Alola  leave  this  modern  Eden  on  that  inter 
esting  occasion. 

On  the  seventh  day  they  came  to  a  point  where  the  mount 
ains  abutted  so  abruptly  upon  the  ocean  that  it  was  impossible 
for  them  to  pursue  their  journey  further  along  the  beach,  and 
they  were  compelled  to  retrace  their  steps  for  a  while,  and  to 
strike  inland  before  proceeding  further  southward.  This  ne 
cessity  was  particularly  distressing  from  the  fact  that  their  stock 
of  provisions  was  running  low,  and  they  had  been  able  to  eke 
out  a  supply  from  the  different  kinds  of  shell-fish  found  by  the 
shore-  They  had  no  assurance  whatever  of  finding  any  kind 


212  CALIFORNIA 

of  food  away  from  the  sea,  but  Manuelo  was  skillful  with  the 
bow,  and  they  hoped  that  in  case  of  an  emergency  some  sort  of 
game  might  be  taken.  The  seventh  day,  so  far  as  progress  on 
their  journey  was  concerned,  was  as  good  as  lost,  and  they 
were  not  yet  beyond  the  borders  of  the  Santos  territory. 

The  experience  of  this  day  showed  them  very  clearly  that 
the  country  was  not  only  to  be  traversed,  but  must  also  be  ex 
plored  for  their  future  course,  and  their  advance  from  that  time 
onward  might  be  slow.  But  every  day,  they  estimated,  would 
add  a  little  to  their  security.  It  did  not  appear  to  them  possi 
ble  that  anybody  could  trace  their  tortuous  course  thus  far; 
and  ere  long,  if  they  continued  to  make  any  progress  whatever, 
they  must  be  in  a  country  where  they  would  be  unknown  even 
if  discovered. 

Bending  their  journey  inland  the  eighth  day  made  up  for  the 
loss  of  the  seventh,  for  at  its  close  they  were  many  leagues  to 
the  southward  of  their  morning  camping-place,  and  in  a  narrow 
valley  shut  in  by  high  mountains  on  either  hand.  In  fact,  they 
had  followed  a  well-defined  trail  pretty  much  the  day  through, 
and  were  under  no  little  anxiety  of  mind  to  know  whither  it 
led.  No  village  had  been  encountered  since  leaving  the  ocean, 
but  the  path  they  had  been  treading  was  one  made,  at  least  in 
part,  by  human  beings,  for  they  could  see  the  evidences  of  that 
fact  in  broken  bushes,  and  in  fragments  of  baskets  scattered 
by  the  way.  The  last  persons  passing  along  this  trail  had  been 
going  in  the  contrary  direction,  and  as  the  number  in  that  com 
pany  was  quite  large,  judging  from  the  indications,  Manuelo  con 
cluded  they  too  must  have  been  on  their  way  to  the  great  town  on 
the  Bay,  to  attend  the  spring  festivities.  He  hardly  had  the 
courage  to  make  known  his  suspicions  to  his  fair  companion,  lest 
it  might  arouse  some  shadow  of  regrets  in  her  sensitive  bosom, 
at  being  the  cause  of  disappointment  to  people  traveling  so  far 
to  attend  the  wedding  of  herself  and  Gosee.  He  feared  this 
the  more  from  the  fact  that  their  provisions  were  now  almost 


350  YEARS  AGO.  213 

exhausted,  and -they  were  compelled  to  lie  down  that  night 
more  or  less  oppressed  with  hunger,  as  well  as  by  fatigue.  To 
content  her  mind,  a  more  than  usually  comfortable  bower  was 
prepared,  and  they  would  have  slept  well  and  soundly  after 
the  wearisome  day's  journey  had  not  their  camp  been  invaded 
before  they  were  fairly  locked  in  the  arms  of  Morpheus,  by  two 
large  bears.  This  threatening  encroachment  was  with  difficulty 
repelled  by  loud  noises  and  many  demonstrations  on  the  part 
of  the  lovers,  and  only  then  by  submitting  to  a  robbery  of  all . 
that  remained  of  their  scanty  store  of  provisions.  Nothing 
short  of  this  would  satisfy  the  greedy  monsters;  but  the  travel 
ers  were  only  too  glad  to  be  rid  of  their  unwelcome  visitors, 
even  upon  these  harsh  terms.  Manueio's  experience  with  this 
species  of  animal,  on  a  former  occasion,  had  taught  him  the 
danger  of  an  encounter  with  a  single  one,  and  he  knew  full 
well  he  would  stand  no  chance  of  victory  in  a  close  contest 
with  two,  unarmed  almost  as  he  was.  Moreover,  the  safety  of 
the  precious  charge  in  his  keeping,  more  than  his  own,  admon 
ished  him  to  a  course  of  prudence,  which  was  by  no  means  to 
excite  the  rage  of  the  intruders.  That  the  bears  were  hungry 
was  evident,  and  his  chief  solicitude  was  that  they  should  not 
satiate  their  appetites  upon  the  tender  limbs  of  his  sweetheart. 
The  night  was  passed  without  much  sleep,  and  on  the  following 
morning  hunger  no  less  than  fear  impelled  them  to  an  early 
resumption  of  their  tiresome  journey. 

Manuelo  was  as  much  surprised  as  pleased  at  the  courage 
and  confidence  displayed  by  his  young  and  frail  compailera, 
nevertheless  he  failed  not,  as  best  he  could,  to  incite  in  her  a 
renewed  determination  to  resist  the  hardships  which  were  now 
coming  thick  and  fast  upon  them.  While  extending  to  her  now 
and 'then  a  helping  hand,  he  would  at  the  same  time,  by  kindly 
words,  hold  out  the  hope  that  speedy  relief  from  their  perilous 
situation  would  come;  but  whence,  had  he  been  asked,  he 
could  not  have  told  to  save  him.  Owing  to  hunger  and  want 


214  CALIFORNIA 

of  sleep  they  were  constrained  to  move  slowly,  but  Manuelo, 
if  we  may  believe  him,  did  not  relax  his  vigilance  and  caution, 
which  seemed  the  more  necessary,  since,  later  in  the  day,  they 
came  upon  more  than  usual  the  signs  of  human  beings.  Dur 
ing  the  afternoon  a  rabbit  and  a  pigeon  were  brought  down 
with  his  arrows,  and  with  these  their  hunger  was  partially 
appeased.  By  a  brook,  near  which  they  pitched  their  camp, 
some  tender  plants  were  likewise  found,  and  the  lovers  were 
not  constrained  to  retire  that  night,  as  they  feared  they  might 
be,  altogether  supperless. 

The  next  day,  which  was  the  tenth,  if  we  mistake  not,  of 
their  flight,  was  entered  upon  in  pretty  good  spirits,  but  it  was 
destined  to  be  the  most  eventful  of  all  thus  far. 

Ascending  a  low  mountain  pass  on  their  trail,  they  came  in 
full  view  of  an  expansive  and  comparatively  level  country,  beyond 
which  the  ocean  appeared  again.  The  prospect  altogether  was 
by  nature  most  inspiring.  This  country  was  evidently  inhab 
ited  by  a  numerous  people,  though  the  outward  signs  of  it, 
from  where  the  fugitives  stood  in  the  pass,  were  few.  Manuelo 
was  half  in  doubt  whether  this  was  a  part  of  the  Santos  king 
dom,  or  the  land  of  some  other  nation;  but  as  there  was  no 
way  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  upon  this  important  point,  except  by 
making  his  presence  known  to  the  inhabitants,  he  determined 
to  run  no  risk  of  that  kind,  but  to  pass  beyond  it  if  possible, 
and  thus  render  their  escape  from  pursuit  and  capture  the  more 
certain.  But  food  himself  and  companion  must  have,  and  to 
the  obtaining  of  this  he  set  his  genius  to  work. 

From  their  secure  lookout,  he  discovered  some  leagues  ahead 
on  the  plain  below,  the  symptoms  of  a  village,  towards  which  in 
the  afternoon  they  advanced  as  nearly  as  they  could  with  en 
tire  safety,  and  made  their  camp  for  the  night.  From  here 
Manuelo  resolved,  under  cover  of  the  approaching  darkness,  to 
reconnoiter  the  country,  and  spy  out,  if  practicable,  who  the 
people  might  be.  While  contemplating  this  proposed  raid,  and 


350  YEARS  AGO.  215 

just  as  the  dull  sun  was  hiding  his  ruby  face  behind  the  west 
ern  horizon,  Alola  discovered  at  some  distance  a  party  of  hunt 
ers  returning  to  the  village.  Calling  Manuelo's  attention  to 
this  unexpected  development,  they  were  both  half  paralyzed 
with  fear,  thinking  they  saw  the  ominous  bird's  wing  in  the  head 
ornamentation  of  the  hunters.  If  true,  this  was  an  unquestion 
able  sign  of  their  belonging  to  the  great  Santos  nation ;  but  of 
this  they  were  left  in  doubt  by  the  distance  that  intervened, 
and  as  well  by  the  fast-falling  darkness. 

The  village,  as  usual  with  native  villages,  was  on  a  knoll,  close 
bordering  upon  a  stream  of  clear  water,  and  the  plain  about 
was  interspersed,  not  thickly,  with  large  oaks,  so  that  as  a  ham 
let  it  was  really  romantic  and  beautiful.  The  people  were  evi 
dently  as  gay  as  the  locality  was  cheering,  for  indications  of 
merriment,  on  the  part  of  old  and  young  alike,  were  plainly 
observable  from  the  cover  of  the  fugitives.  These  were  noticed 
with  as  much  caution  as  the  circumstances  would  admit  of,  and 
the  lovers  awaited  with  illy  suppressed  anxiety  for  the  lengthen 
ing  hours  of  the  early  evening  to  glide  by. 

Impelled  by  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  relying  upon  the  long 
distance  already  come,  the  strangers  might  have  been  con 
strained  to  discover  themselves  to  these  people,  running  what 
risk  there  might  be  of  recognition,  but  for  the  circumstance  of 
their  observing,  as  they  supposed,  the  head-gear  spoken  of. 
This  admonished  them  to  forego  the  pleasure  which  they  other 
wise  would  have  expected  in  a  visit  to  such  a  delightful  village, 
and  to  so  merry  a  population  as  this  appeared  to  be.  Night 
came  on,  and  with  it  silence,  which  grew  profound  as  the  even 
ing  waned. 

About  to  pact  from  his  bride  for  the  first  time,  he  embraced 
her  affectionately  before  sallying  forth  from  their  bower  on  his 
errand  of  discovery.  So  loth  was  she  to  part  with  him,  even 
for  a  single  hour,  that  she  held  his  hand  for  a  long  time  after 
he  would  have  been  on  his  way,  and  then  with  tears  she  bade 
him  godspeed. 


216  CALIFORNIA 

Observing  first,  carefully,  the  location  of  their  camp,  and 
marking  out  for  himself  and  companion  a  line  of  retreat  in 
case  of  pursuit  by  night,  he  cautiously  advanced  upon  the  vil 
lage.  Manuelo's  eyes  and  ears  were  open  to  every  moving 
thing,  and  riot  a  bird  or  living  creature,  however  small,  escaped 
his  attention  as  he  silently  felt  his  way  towards  the  object  of  his 
investigation.  Prudently  hovering  in  the  suburbs  until  all  was 
still  as  the  grave,  he  assumed  all  the  courage  at  his  command, 
and  at  the  same  time,  as  nearly  as  he  could,  the  appearance  of 
a  native,  then  penetrated  with  noiseless  tread  to  the  very  center 
of  the  village,  where  he  discovered  some  venison,  cut  in  long 
strips  and  hung  on  flakes  to  dry.  To  this  he  helped  himself 
without  ceremony,  for  it  was  just  what  himself  and  Alola 
needed,  and  then  safely  made  his  retreat,  going  in  the  direction 
of  the  brook  until  quite  beyond  the  confines  of  the  village. 
With  hasty  steps  and  less  caution  he  now  returned  to  the  bower 
of  his  wakeful  and  anxiously  waiting  companion. 

They  were  both  overjoyed  with  the  success  of  the  venture, 
which,  though  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  civilized  and  savage 
countries  alike,  was  justified  by  Manuelo  on  the  ground,  not 
of  his  own,  but  of  the  extreme  hunger  of  the  fairest  creature 
living,  as  he  said,  and  the  act  was  not  condemned  by  Father 
Justino,  who  was  sure  it  would  have  been  excused  by  the  owners 
of  the  food  themselves,  had  they  been  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances.  But  this  was  no  time  to  tarry,  even  for  a  hom 
ily  on  the  morality  of  the  transaction,  and  so,  refreshed,  in  the 
stillness  of  night,  the  two  set  out  on  their  southward  journey. 

The  rising  sun  discovered  them  many  leagues  away  from  the 
place  of  their  last  encampment;  and  henceforward  their  trav 
eling  was  done  under  cover  of  the  night,  for  in  this  country 
settlements  were  so  frequent  as  to  subject  their  progress  by  day 
to  the  imminent  peril  of  discovery. 

In  scaling  mountains  they  must  needs  follow  passes  which 
were  threaded  by  trails  on  which  people  were  frequently  mov- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  217 

ing  to  and  fro,  some  of  whom  they  would  be  quite  sure  to 
meet  in  the  day-time,  but  at  night  they  were  comparatively  safe 
except  from  the  assaults  of  wild  animals,  which  were  numer 
ous  and  ferocious  in  that  country  in  those  times. 

On  one  occasion  their  progress  was  seriously  interrupted  by 
a  hungry  lioness,  which,  however,  was  dispatched  by  Manu- 
elo's  spear  while  its  attention  was  diverted  by  the  cunning  of 
Alola,  but  not  till  its  appetite  had  been  gorged  with  nearly  all 
that  remained  of  their  scanty  supply  of  venison.  This  un 
toward  event,  though  not  so  sad  as  it  might  have  been,  ren 
dered  it  necessary  soon  afterwards  to  replenish  their  store, 
which  it  was  believed  could  be  done  in  the  same  manner  as 
before.  Although  they  had  not  yet  gone  nearly  so  far  as  they 
intended,  they  felt  less  dread  of  detection,  since  both  concluded 
they  must  now  be  some  distance  beyond  the  dominions  of 
Alola's  old  father.  But  as  friendly  relations  existed  between 
Bear-Slayer  and  all  people  to  the  southward,  the  lovers  were 
apprehensive  that  information  of  their  flight,  should  it  be  known, 
might  find  its  way  bade  to  the  country  of  the  Santos,  in  which 
case  their  return  or  surrender  would  be  demanded,  and  prob 
ably  enforced  by  a  war,  if  the  demand  was  not  speedily 
acceded  to. 

News  of  the  elopement  of  so  distinguished  a  person  as  the 
king's  daughter  they  rightly  judged  would  be  likely  to  spread 
far  and  wide,  and  they  were  constrained  to  prosecute  their 
flight  for  many  days  longer,  and  as  far  as  absolute  safety  required. 
Their  uncontrollable  love  for  each  other  contributed  immeas 
urably  to  their  caution,  and  neither  felt  like  resting  in  one 
place  longer  than  a  few  hours. 

About  this  period  a  large  village  was  discovered  on  the  well- 
shaded  bank  of  a  river,  some  little  distance  back  from  the  sea, 
and  here  it  was  resolved  by  Manuelo  to  obtain  a  new  supply  of 
food  if  possible.  The  place  seemed  to  afford  peculiar  induce- 


218  CALIFORNIA 

mcnts  from  the  facilities  with  which  it  could  be  approached.  In 
the  rear  it  was  beset  with  steep  hills,  and  on  the  up-river  side  with 
a  growth  of  large  trees.  From  down  the  river  the  town  was 
exposed  to  view,  and  in  that  direction  looked  off  upon  the  not 
distant  ocean.  The  situation  was  as  eligible  as  ever  could  have 
been  chosen  for  a  village,  and  by  its  surroundings  showed  a 
great  deal  of  intelligence  and  good  taste  on  the  part  of  its 
founder,  whoever  he  may  have  been. 

A  secure  hiding-place  having  been  fixed  upon  by  the  fugi 
tives  at  a  convenient  distance  up  the  river,  Manuelo  made  prep 
arations  to  explore  the  place  from  that  point  for  the  means  of 
subsistence. 

In  order  to  come  without  delay  to  the  more  important  facts, 
for  which  the  reader  is  impatiently  waiting,  it  has  been  thought 
best  to  omit  entirely  from  the  translation  the  great  solicitude 
felt  by  Alola  for  the  safety  of  her  lord,  and  likewise  her  earnest 
injunction  given  before  starting  on  his  perilous  mission,  to  ob 
serve  the  utmost  caution  and  to  hurry  back.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  the  scene  at  this  time,  had  it  been  witnessed  by  anyone, 
would  have  been  nearly  a  repetition  of  what  took  place  only  a 
few  nights  before,  but  with  this  exception,  that  both  were  now 
infinitely  more  hopeful  of  success  than  they  had  been  when 
inaugurating  their  first  enterprise  of  the  kind.  This  last  ob 
servation  called  forth  from  the  good  friar  the  pious  reflection 
that  the  best  way  to  avoid  disappointment  is  always  to 
expect  it.  Had  Manuelo  and  his  innocent  spouse  observed 
this  sensible  rule,  they  would  have  escaped  much  disquietude 
to  themselves  and  at  the  same  time  have  enabled  the  author  to 
proceed  with  this  narrative  with  less  embarrassment. 

Practicing  the  same  tactics  very  nearly  as  on  his  former  raid, 
Manuelo  penetrated  this  village  in  the  dead  of  night,  when  all 
the  inhabitants,  as  he  supposed,  were  sound  asleep.  But  find 
ing  no  food  exposed  out-of-doors,  as  his  former  experience  had 
led  him  to  expect,  he  was  constrained  by  adverse  fate  and  too 


350  YEARS  AGO.  219 

much  daring  to  enter  a  dwelling  to  obtain  what  he  so  much 
needed.  Guided  more  by  his  sense  of  smell  than  of  sight, 
he  was  feeling  about  in  the  dark,  when  incautiously  he  stum 
bled  upon  one  of  the  recumbent  slumbering  inmates.  In 
stantly  aroused,  of  course  an  alarm  was  raised.  Manuelo  fled 
and  was  pursued.  Had  he  been  as  familiar  as  the  people  of 
the  place  with  the  locality,  he  could  easily  have  escaped ;  but, 
alas  !  he  ran  in  the  wrong  direction,  and  becoming  entangled  in 
some  bushes,  was  captured.  Here  was  a  dilemma.  The 
whole  village  was  aroused,  and  he  was  at  once  surrounded  by 
hundreds  of  people  peering  at  him  in  the  starlight  and  won 
dering  what  sort  of  a  being  it  could  be.  So  entirely  unusual 
was  his  whole  appearance  that  many  of  the  wisest  among  the 
people  were  disposed  to  look  upon  him  as  a  messenger  directly 
from  the  infernal  regions,  and  therefore  entitled  to  respect, 
which  they,  one  and  all,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  freely 
showed  him.  Most  of  them,  and  the  women  and  children  in 
particular,  kept  quite  aloof,  and  no  injury  was  inflicted  upon 
him  by  anyone.  Had  he  been  a  veritable  demon  they  could 
not  have  paid  more  deference  to  his  person,  but  for  all  that,  he 
was  retained  a  close  prisoner,  under  strong  guard,  until  morn 
ing,  when  the  fact  was  revealed  to  their  astonished  vision  that 
he  was  human,  and  belonged  to  another,  a  distinct,  and  an  un 
known  race  of  men. 

The  wonder  of  the  people  at  now  beholding  for  the  first 
time,  in  the  broad  light  of  day,  a  white  man,  it  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  describe,  nor  do  we  propose  to  undertake  the  task  at 
this  time.  It  is  even  doubtful  if  they  expressed  their  aston 
ishment  in  any  words  that  could  be  written  down  ;  and  why 
should  Justino  be  expected  to  supply  the  deficiency?  Accord 
ing  to  Manuelo's  account  of  the  affair,  their  exclamation  of 
surprise  resembled  an  expression  often  since  heard  in  the  In 
dian  tongue,  and  sounded  not  unlike,  "  Woe  !  woe  !  " 

Their  language,  in  other  respects,   Manuelo  could  not  well 


220  CALIFORNIA 

understand,  but  he  knew  enough  of  the  Indian  character  to 
make  known  by  signs  his  wants,  and  in  a  measure  to  conciliate 
them.  He  gave  them  to  understand  that  he  came  from  the 
South  instead  of  the  North,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  permitted, 
but  under  heavy  escort,  he  sought  out  the  hiding-place  of  his 
beautiful  bride;  but,  alas  !  she  was  no  longer  there.  The  bird 
had  flown,  leaving  only  a  few  scattered  feathers  behind,  and 
nothing  to  indicate  in  what  direction  she  had  taken  her  flight. 
Manuelo's  distress  was  now  unbounded.  He  called  for  Alola 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  but  could  get  no  response.  He  judged 
rightly  that  she  had  heard  the  commotion  in  the  village,  caused 
by  his  detection,  and  had  fled,  and  he  greatly  feared  she  would 
be  entirely  lost  in  her  flight,  or  be  destroyed  by  wild  beasts. 
He  felt  almost  certain  she  would  not  go  far  away  without  him, 
but  he  was  none  the  less  perplexed  by  her  absence.  He  man 
aged  to  make  known,  as  speedily  as  possible,* the  fact  of  her 
existence,  to  his  captors,  and  a  search  for  her  was  generously 
undertaken  by  them  all.  It  appears  that  the  poor,  affrighted 
creature,  on  hearing  the  terrible  noise  in  the  village,  created 
by  her  husband's  arrest,  had  approached  with  the  noiseless, 
trembling  tread  of  a  kitten,  to  its  very  suburbs,  and  not  seeing 
him,  had  fled  in  the  direction  of  the  ocean,  believing  that 
Manuelo,  if  he  made  his  escape,  would  pursue  the  same  course. 
There  on  the  beach,  running  hither  and  thither,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  the  poor  thing  was  found  by  the  natives,  more  dead 
than  alive,  and  bemoaning  aloud  her  hard  fate,  as  only  a  young 
and  tender  creature  like  herself  could  be  expected  to  do.  She 
greatly  feared  her  lover  had  been  slain,  and  she  was  already 
contemplating  self-destruction  by  plunging  alone  into  the  deep 
blue  sea.  Reluctantly  she  was  brought  by  her  captors  to  the 
village,  and  was  there  surprised  and  delighted  to  meet  Manuelo 
again,  and  the  two  were  happier  then  than  they  had  ever  been 
before  in  their  lives.  Captives  though  they  were,  all  the  pains 
of  imprisonment  were  dispelled  by  the  knowledge  of  each 


350  YEARS  AGO.  221 

other's  safety,  and  with  ineffable  ecstasy  they  recounted  to  each 
other  every  occurrence  since  their  separation,  only  the  night 
before. 

LXVII. 

THE  BARBOS.* 

THE  people  in  whose  hands  they  had  now  fallen,  and  who 
were  called  the  Barbos,  proved  to  be  a  distinct  nation  from  the 
Santos,  but  there  was  no  well-defined  boundary  separating  the 
territories  of  the  two  countries.  The  people  were  known  to 
each  other,  but  no  relations  existed  between  them,  or  none  of 
a  diplomatic  character,  if  I  may  use  that  expression,  and  this 
fact,  when  it  became  known,  had  a  tendency  to  ease  the  minds 
of  the  fugitives,  and  to  enable  them  to  rest  in  peace  long 
enough  to  recuperate  their  energies,  which  had  been  greatly 
exhausted  by  the  long  and  tedious  marches  by  night,  as  well  as 
by  day,  without  proper  food  most  of  the  way,  and  part  of  the 
time  without  any.  Though  they  were  extremely  solicitous  to 
ascertain  the  relations  existing  between  the  Barbos  and  the 
Santos,  the  inquiry  was  conducted  so  cautiously  as  not  to  be 
tray  the  fact  that  they  were  fugitives  from  the  latter  nation. 
On  the  contrary,  both  Manuelo  and  Alola  studiously  gave  forth 
the  impression,  as  the  cautious  Manuelo  alone  had  done  before, 
that  they  had  come  from  the  opposite  direction;  not,  however, 
from  the  country  immediately  adjoining  the  Barbos  on  the 

*SANTA  BARBARA  TRIBE. — When  in  1769  [about  170  years  after 
Manuelo  was  there],  the  Spanish  explorers  in  their  northward  march  came 
to  the  locality  of  the  present  Santa  Barbara,  they  found  there  a  large 
native  village.  The  inhabitants  were  fishermen,  who  had  fine  boats, 
twenty-four  feet  long,  made  of  pine  boards.  They  also  possessed  consid 
erable  artistic  skill,  as  exhibited  in  their  wood-carvings,  which  were  eagerly 
bought  by  the  Spaniards,  who  in  return  gave  glass  beads  to  the  natives. 
Some  of  the  graves  were  opened  recently,  and  the  relics  found  in  them 
were  ascribed  by  many  to  prehistoric  times,  and  to  extinct  races. — Santa 
Barbara  Independent. 


222  CALIFORNIA 

south,  but  from  some  far  country  in  that  quarter.  This  was 
the  more  readily  believed,  inasmuch  as  the  Barbos  had  heard  a 
vague  rumor  of  a  people  resembling  Manuelo,  in  some  distant 
southern  land. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  sudden  appearance  of  two 
such  unusual  characters  in  this  village,  not  only  created  great 
excitement,  as  has  been  stated,  but  it  also  caused  much  gossip 
ing  comment,  particularly  amongst  the  women,  who  never 
ceased  wondering  how  it  was  that  such  a  pretty  young  woman 
as  Alola  could  have  been  found  in  such  limited  company  and 
under  such  strange  circumstances.  Much  tattle  about  the  affair 
was  indulged  in,  and  it  sorely  taxed  the  inventive  genius  of  the 
happy  couple  to  satisfy  the  numerous  meddlesome  inquiries 
made  of  them  concerning  the  event.  It  may  have  been  a  weak 
pretense  on  the  part  of  the  strangers  that  they  had  become  lost, 
and  were  wandering,  they  knew  not  whither,  but  it  was  the 
best  explanation  that  could  be  offered,  and  the  over-curious 
matrons  and  maidens  had  no  alternative  but  to  make  the  most 
of  it.  How  much  of  this  improbable  story  was  really  believed 
the  happy  pair  could  not  know,  but  then,  neither  did  they  care, 
only  so  they  were  not  betrayed  by  too  bold  an  imposition  upon 
the  credulity  of  their  listeners.  Both  Manuelo  and  Alola  felt 
that  it  was  little  of  the  business  of  this  people  to  know  all  about 
them,  and  that,  at  all  events,  their  movements  concerned  them 
selves  more,  by  far,  than  mere  strangers;  hence  they  scrupled 
not  to  mislead  the  prying  Barbos  women  in  any  way  they  were 
able.  To  have  told  the  whole  truth,  situated  as  they  were, 
might  have  proved  disastrous  to  their  plans,  and  their  decep 
tive  course  was  fully  justified  by  Father  Justino,  on  the  ground 
that,  as  husband  and  wife,  they  alone  were  entitled  to  their 
family  secrets;  unless,  forsooth,  such  secrets  might  be  demanded 
at  the  confessional,  by  a  regular  priest  like  himself,  and  who,  in 
that  case,  would  be  bound  to  keep  them  in  clerical  confidence. 

Aside  from  these  meddlesome  and  annoying  inquiries  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  223 

fugitives  were  treated  with  much  kindness  by  the  thrifty  people 
of  this  Barbos  village,  and  after  the  first  few  days  of  their  stay, 
no  restraint  whatever  was  put  upon  their  movements.  They 
were  at  liberty  to  do  whatsoever  they  would,  and  their  sojourn, 
though  begun  as  prisoners,  was  continued  and  ended  more  like 
a  veritable  honey-moon.  Frequent  excursions  were  made  to 
the  ocean  beach,  both  for  exploration  and  enjoyment,  and  for 
the  first  time  in  all  their  experience  did  the  stream  of  their  love 
appear  to  flow  smoothly. 

In  the  ceaseless  roar  of  the  ocean  there  is  something  so 
soothing  to  the  senses  of  lovers  that  Manuelo  made  bold  to 
recommend  to  all  persons  who  might  be  compelled  to  run 
away,  on  account  of  their  attachment  for  each  other,  to  seek 
the  sea-side  by  all  means,  and,  if  practicable,  to  resort  to  the 
coast  of  the  Barbos,  whose  secluded  vales  and  entrancing 
scenery,  not  to  mention  its  unequaled  climate,  he  thought  pre 
sented  unusual  attractions  for  such  romantic  adventurers. 

Fascinated  by  their  pleasant  surroundings  in  this  beautiful 
land,  Manuelo  and  his  bride,  too  happy,  remained  as  long  as 
they  dared,  and  longer,  perhaps,  than  prudence  would  have 
allowed. 

At  last  satisfied,  though  not  wearied,  with  this  genial  locality, 
and  with  the  attentions  of  its  equally  genial  people,  the  lovers 
pretendecLanxiety  to  return  to  their  home,  and  expressed  to 
their  new-found  friends  fears  lest  their  long  absence  might 
create  alarm.  So  much  was  true,  but  the  alarm  they  were 
alluding  to  was  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the  one  they 
wished  to  go.  Generously  provided  by  the  kind  Barbos  with 
all  the  comforts  they  would  need  upon  their  journey,  the  two, 
bidding  their  protectors  an  affectionate  adieu,  set  out  on  t'leir 
southward  march,  arm  in  arm  at  first,  and  always  near  to  each 
other. 

Manuelo  had  learned  from  these  people  that  a  powerful  and 
warlike  nation  called  the  Anglos  lay  some  five  or  six  days'  jour- 


224  CALIFORNIA 

ney  off  in  the  direction  they  were  bound,  and  before  starting 
he  determined  to  enter  that  territory  boldly,  and  conceal  from 
its  inhabitants  nothing  except  whence  they  came  and  the  oc 
casion  of  their  coming. 

It  was  JVIanuelo's  intention  to  proceed  still  further  in  the 
direction  of  Mexico  as  soon  as  convenient,  and  perhaps  to 
penetrate  to  the  very  settlements  of  the  Spanish,  which  he 
knew  must  lay  in  that  quarter. 

The  Barbos  were  not  on  the  most  friendly  terms  witn  the 
Anglos,  and  the  security  of  the  former  from  invasion,  he  could 
see,  depended  upon  their  isolation;  for  the  part  of  the  journey 
they  were  now  about  to  make  was  more  difficult  and  danger 
ous  than  any  they  had  hitherto  passed  over.  A  succession  of 
mountains  and  deserts  intervened,  and  it  was  hard  to  say 
which  of  the  two,  whether  desert  or  mountain,  presented  the 
greater  obstacle  to  their  progress. 

The  travelers  were  in  constant  danger  of  losing  their  way, 
or  else  of  being  destroyed  by  wild  beasts,  which  abounded  in 
the  mountains,  and  they  therefore  felt  constrained  to  make 
their  camp  each  night  on  the  open  plain,  or  in  the  midst  of 
some  valley,  though  comforts  there  were  fewer,  in  order  to  be 
away  from  the  haunts  of  the  bear,  the  lion,  and  other  ferocious 
animals.  There  were  few  villages  on  the  route,  and  only  on 
the  first  night  out  were  they  favored  with  a  lodgment^  in  one. 
Thus  far  on  their  way  the  wanderers  were  accompanied  by  two 
stalwart  braves  of  the  Barbos,  but  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
had  to  be  made  in  solitude  and  by  themselves  alone.  Neverthe 
less  they  continued  on  their  course  with  safety  and  by  easy 
stages,  no  incident  of  importance  occurring,  or,  if  so,  not 
related;  until  on  the  seventh  day  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
capital  of  the  Anglos.  It  was  situated  on  the  border  of  a 
magnificent  plain  interspersed  with  isolated  groves  of  large 
trees,  and  not  many  leagues  away  from  the  ocean.  The  city 
was  first  seen  from  the  crest  of  a  mountain,  not  of  great  height, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  225 

but  precipitous,  and  the  prospect,  comprising  as  it  did,  plain, 
river,  city,  ocean,  and  all,  was,  next  to  that  from  Tamalpais  the 
grandest  he  had  ever  beheld.  Contemplating  it  long  and 
earnestly,  with  Alola  by  his  side,  the  two  began  at  length  to 
speculate  upon  the  nature  of  the  inhabitants,  wondering  what 
sort  of  people  they  must  be  who  were  living  in  such  an  inspir 
ing  region,  and  what  kind  of.  a  reception  they  would  probably 
meet  with  on  the  following  day,  for  they  were  yet  a  great  way 
off,  and  could  not  have  hoped  to  reach  the  city  that  night,  had 
they  desired  to  do  so.  Resting  there  in  the  mountains  they 
cogitated  over  what  account  they  should  give  of  themselves  on 
arrival  at  the  city  the  following  day,  and  how  they  should  make 
their  debut  among  that  strange  people.  They  still  felt  them 
selves  under  the  necessity  of  concealing  from  public  curiosity 
the  cause  of  their  journey,  and  their  firm  conclusion  therefore 
was  to  evade  answering  too  many  inquiries  at  the  first,  and 
until  they  could  be  certain  of  giving  a  consistent  and  satisfac 
tory  explanation  of  their  movements.  But  it  was  resolved  in 
case  nothing  appeared  in  the  way  of  such  a  statement,  to  say 
that  Manuelo  had  been  cast  ashore  far  to  the  northward, 
some  two  years  before,  and  with  his  fair  companion,  who  had, 
with  the  consent  of  her  parents,  become  his  wife,  was  making 
his  way  back  to  his  own  country,  which  lay  a  hundred  days'  jour 
ney  or  more,  it  might  be,  to  the  southward.  This  was  as  near 
the  truth  as  it  was  thought  advisable  to  venture  at  the  start. 
They  would  gladly  have  avoided  making  any  misstatements  or 
misrepresentation  whatever,  but  such  was  deemed  incompatible 
with  safety.  They  had  been  compelled  to  enter  upon  a  system 
of  prevarication  by  the  very  unjust  and  arbitrary  laws  of  the 
fiery  Santos,  and  they  were  not  yet  far  enough  away  from  the 
influence  of  such  laws  to  render  entirely  safe  an  abandonment 
of  that  policy,  for  one  of  candor  and  honesty. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  Father  Justino,  plainly  expressed  in 
the  manuscript,  that  the  laws  of  a  country  are  responsible  for 
15 


226  CALIFORNIA 

many  of  the  crimes  committed  in  it,  and  that  laws  are  some 
times  so  oppressive  and  unjust  that  they  must  needs  be  disre 
garded.  Such  is  the  case,  he  said,  particularly  where  the 
happiness  of  the  people  is  seriously  impaired  by  the  character 
of  the  institutions  under  which  they  are  compelled  to  live,  and 
where  the  lives  of  citizens  are  endangered  by  their  operation. 
To  be  respected,  laws,  he  added,  ought  to  be  equal  and  uni 
form,  and  bear  upon  all  alike,  upon  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the 
high  and  the  low,  and  only  such  laws  he  thought  could  be 
conscientiously  observed  by  everybody. 

It  was  also  said  by  Justino,  but  whether  he  •  was  merely 
echoing  the  opinions  of  Manuelo,  or  giving  utterance  to  his 
own  sentiments,  gathered  from  early  observations  in  Portugal, 
cannot  now  be  told,  but  he  declared  that  unjust  laws,  by  pro 
ducing  hunger,  privation,  and  suffering,  are  the  cause  of  a  far 
greater  number  of  premature  and  untimely  deaths  than  wars, 
pestilence,  and  earthquakes  combined;  and  he  drew  a  compari 
son  between  different  countries  to  show  that  the  prosperity  or 
otherwise  of  each  depended  almost  entirely  upon  its  govern 
ment.  Thousands,  he  said,  yea,  millions  of  innocent  children 
each  year,  and  of  men  and  women  not  a  few,  whose  early 
departure  from  this  life  was  attributed,  as  the  world  goes,  to 
blind  chance  and  uncontrollable  fate,  were  in  truth  murdered 
by  oppressive  laws;  yes,  absolutely  murdered;  sacrificed  to 
appease  the  demands  of  unjust  governments;  and  therefore  it 
was,  as  he  reasoned,  that  the  infraction  of  the  law  was  not 
always  a  crime,  the  criminality  being  oftener  in  the  law  itself 
than  in  its  violation.  He  thought  that  if  the  palaces  of  the 
great  could  be  turned  into  mausoleums  to  accommodate  the 
victims  of  their  tyrannical  owners,  they  would  be  filled  from 
base  to  turret  with  dead  men's  bones. 

This  good  Dominican  friar  envied  not  any  people  the 
enjoyment  of  their  crime-gotten  gains;  but,  if  we  may  believe 
him,  was  more  content  with  his  scanty  allotment  in  the  New 


350  YEARS  AGO.  227 

World  than  were  the  greatest  of  kings  with  all  their  possessions 
in  the  Old. 

As  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  this  conclusion,  he 
referred  again  with  powerful  effect  to  the  fact  just  then  becom 
ing  known  in  America,  that  the  great  Charles  V.,  though  not 
yet  old,  had  cast  aside  his  glittering  imperial  crown,  for  the 
peace  of  mind  which  he  hoped  to  find  in  the  quiet  of  the 
cloister.  In  naming  over  at  the  time  different  kingdoms,  some 
powerful  and  others  weak,  to  prove  that  the  condition  of  the 
one  or  the  other  depended  almost  exclusively  upon  the  char 
acter  of  its  institutions,  good  or  bad,  the  strong  nation  possess 
ing  the  good  and  the  weak  the  bad,  he  was  not  content,  but  pro 
ceeded  further  to  adduce  a  fact,  well  sustained  in  history,  that 
the  same  country  is  at  one  period  prosperous  and  at  another 
otherwise ;  that  the  time  of  its  prosperity  was  when  blessed 
with  wise  rulers  and  just  laws,  and  that  degeneracy  and  decay 
were  the  inevitable  results  of  corruption  and  injustice.  Laws, 
he  said,  should  be  framed  for  the  protection  of  the  weak,  and 
not  the  strong;  for  the  poor,  and  not  the  rich;  the  powerful 
and  wealthy,  continued  he,  being  able  to  provide  for  them 
selves,  while  the  poor  and  the  weak  are  at  the  mercy  of 
others  unless  protected  by  law. 

It  sounds  so  much  like  a  woman  that  we  must  believe  that 
Alola  herself  was  the  real  author  of  the  sentiment,  that  the 
poor  and  unfortunate  are  the  babes  and  sucklings  of  the  gov 
ernment,  and  entitled  to  its  first  consideration.  Not  the  lions, 
said  the  good  woman,  but  the  lambs;  the  hares,  and  not  the 
bears,  require  protection,  and  yet  the  lions  and  bears  of  society 
have  the  benefit  of  nearly  all  legislative  enactments,  while  the 
hares  and  the  lambs,  so  to  speak,  are  left  to  shift  for  themselves. 
The  powerful  and  rich,  who  become  so  by  the  favor  of  the 
king,  and  use  their  bounty  unmercifully,  were  declared  to  be 
the  ravenous  human  hyenas  of  civil  society,  and  more  deserving 
of  destruction  than  of  the  flattery  which  is  so  frequently 


228  CALIFORNIA 

bestowed  upon  them.  If  God  is  good  and  at  the  same  time 
merciful,  said  the  friar,  the  just  lawgiver,  who  is  too  often  con 
demned  in  this  world,  will  be  abundantly  rewarded  in  the  next; 
while  the  bad  one,  however  pious  he  may  seem  to  be,  will  fail 
of  his  aim  to  reach  Heaven ;  for,  said  he,  where  laws  are  so 
oppressive  and  unjust  that  persons  must  from  necessity  violate 
them  in  order  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life,  it  is  .not  the 
breakers  of  the  laws,  but  the  makers  of  them,  that  ought  to  be 
punished. 

Justino  observed,  furthermore,  that  the  character  of  the  gov 
ernment  of  a  country  was  always  depicted  in  the  countenances 
of  its  inhabitants.  If  the  government  be  good,  said  he, 
happiness  will  prevail  and  will  plainly  appear  in  the  faces  of 
the  people;  but  if  harsh  and  oppressive,  that,  in  like  manner, 
will  be  shown  in  their  dissatisfied  and  dejected  expressions. 
He  maintained  that  under  just  and  equal  laws  a  noble  race  of 
men  and  women  would  spring  up  in  any  country;  while  abject 
servility  and  degeneracy  were  sure  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  an 
unjust  and  tyrannical  government.  This,  he  assured  Manuelo, 
had  been  demonstrated  in  all  ages  and  in  all  countries.  The 
comely  Greeks  and  noble  Romans  of  ancient  times  had 
grown  to  their  exalted  state  of  perfection  from  much  lower 
orders  of  humanity,  under  the  influence  of  wise  enactments; 
and  as  the  result  of  oppressive  government  they  had  degen 
erated  again,  at  times,  to  a  deplorable  extent.  Addressing 
himself  to  Manuelo  with  much  earnestness  he  added  uViat 
even  the  manly  and  generous-souled  Santos,  if  subjected  to 
improper  governmental  influences,  might,  in  the  course  of 
centuries,  degenerate  into  an  inferior  race  of  beings,  and  their 
women,  of  whom  Alola  was  a  brilliant  example,  would  be  likely 
in  time  also  to  lose  much  of  their  beauty  and  comeliness. 
This  sweeping  assertion  Manuelo  was  hardly  prepared  to 
believe,  until  reminded  by  the  friar  of  the  shameful  conduct 
towards  himself  of  the  slavish  Modens,  when  the  great  truth 


350  YEARS  AGO.  229 

for  the  first  time  flashed  across  his  mind  that  government  has 
everything  to  do  with  the  moral,  mental,  and  physical  condition 
of  a  people,  a  fact  never  afterwards  questioned  by  him. 

In  the  case  of  Manuelo  and  Alola,  they  were  now  fleeing 
from  the  operation  of  laws  directly  in  conflict  with  a  law  of 
nature,  and  as  Justino  maintained,  in  opposition  to  the  divine 
law  of  love ;  hence  he  was  far  from  censuring  the  poor  fugitives 
for  resorting  to  so  much  of  prevarication,  as  was  deemed 
necessary  to  shield  themselves  from  that  vengeance  which  was 
liable  to  follow  from  the  wicked  practices  of  the  Santos.  The 
lovers  had  the  entire  sympathy  of  the  good  friar,  as  they  have 
also  of  the  translator,  and  doubtless  will  have  of  every  honest 
reader  of  this  history.  Laws  that  are  right  and  tend  to  pro 
mote  human  happiness  are  always  readily  obeyed,  and  are 
easily  enforced;  in  fact,  they  enforce  themselves  by  their  own 
justness;  hence,  very  little  government  is  anywhere  needed 
except  to  enforce  oppressive  laws. 

LXVIII. 

THE  ANGLOS. 

AWAKENED  at  early  morn  by  the  shrill,  penetrating  notes 
of  a  brown  thrush  piping  its  lays  in  answer  to  its  mate,  and 
refreshed  by  a  night's  rest  in  the  pure  mountain  air  of  that 
elevated  place,  the  doubting  couple  issued  forth  from  their 
temporary  bower,  to  find  as  clear  a  sky  and  as  brilliant  a 
prospect  as  ever  mortal  man  had  looked  upon.  The  sun  had 
not  yet  come  forth  from  his  hiding-place  in  the  orient,  and 
the  two  lingered  where  they  were  long  enough  to  greet  his 
appearance,  and  to  plight  anew,  before  the  shining  face  of 
that  great  luminary,  their  mutual  faith.  Then  and  there,  sur 
rounded  as  they  were  by  the  untold  beauties  of  nature,  and 
fully  inspired  by  the  surpassing  sublimity  of  the  scenery,  they 
vowed  again  most  solemnly  to  love,  honor,  and  cherish  each 


230  CALIFORNIA 

other  through  all  trials  and  temptations,  through  evil  and  good 
report,  cleaving  only  one  to  the  other  so  long  as  they  both 
should  live,  and  until  death  should  them  finally  part. 

They  were  now  about  to  enter  upon  associations  entirely 
new,  the  continuation  of  which  was  a  thing  of  great  uncer 
tainty,  and  they  deemed  this  a  fitting  occasion  to  pledge  again 
their  troth,  and  bind  themselves  more  closely  together.  Should 
it  be  their  fate  to  spend  the  balance  of  their  days  with  the 
Anglos,  they  would  leave  nothing  undone  which  might  be 
needful  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of  their  blissful  union, 
and  both,  bending  towards  the  east,  earnestly  called  upon  the 
rising  sun  to  witness  the  sincerity  of  their  affection. 

This  ceremony  brought  to  a  close  by  the  sun  entering  upon 
his  daily  journey,  the  wanderers,  cheered  in  heart,  not  more 
by  the  delightful  scenery  before  them  than  by  the  conscious 
ness  of  having  discharged  an  important,  but  solemn  duty, 
abandoned  their  resting-place,  and  were  soon  down  on  the 
plains,  wending  their  way  to  the  city,  which,  by  diligent  trav 
eling,  they  reached  before  noon.  Their  approach  had  been 
observed  from  afar,  and  their  unexpected  advent  in  the  place 
caused  great  commotion  among  the  people.  No  herald  or 
information  of  any  kind  had  preceded  their  coming,  and  nearly 
the  entire  population  assembled  to  express  their  wonder  at 
so  strange  an  event.  They  were  able  at  first  to  converse  but 
poorly  with  the  gathering  crowd,  on  account  of  a  difference 
in  dialect,  and  could  therefore  give  but  little  account  of  them 
selves.  They  were  regarded  with  amazement  by  all,  but  the 
authorities  of  the  city  were  inclined  to  look  upon  them  at  the 
beginning,  as  nothing  but  spies.  In  consequence  they  were 
treated  with  coolness,  and  were  kept  under  close  surveillance 
for  the  time,  but  succeeded  after  a  while  in  gaining  the  con 
fidence  of  the  great  chief,  and  eventually,  more  liberty  of  action. 
This  was  accorded  them  with  the  more  reluctance  on  account 
of  the  peculiarity  of  their  costume,  which  clearly  indicated 


350  YEARS  AGO.  231 

that  they  were  from  some  nation  entirely  unknown  in  those 
parts.  Their  dresses,  though  of  skins,  like  those  of  the  Anglos, 
were  of  fashions  entirely  different. 

Manuelo  himself  was  no  less  an  object  of  curiosity  here 
than  in  other  places  where  he  had  been,  and,  notwithstanding 
his  strenuous  endeavors  to  appear  and  act  like  a  native  of  the 
country,  it  was  of  little  avail.  It  was  impossible  to  divest 
himself  of  distinctive  features,  nor  could  he  in  any  way  de 
ceive  the  shrewd  Anglos.  They  detected  in  him  at  once 
something  unusual  and  extraordinary.  His  fuller  beard,  his 
blue  eyes,  his  brown  hair,  and  his  lighter  skin,  all  betrayed 
him  as  belonging  to  an  entirely  different  race  from  their  own, 
and  he  was  therefore  contemplated  with  a  great  deal  of  sus 
picion,  until  his  acquaintance  with  the  people  grew  apace,  and 
their  friendship  was  ripened  by  time. 

Towards  the  beautiful,  dark-eyed  Alola,  whose  general 
make-up,  though  superior  to  that  of  the  rest  of  her  race,  was 
more  in  accordance  with  the  accepted  standard  of  the  country 
in  those  days,  they  felt  differently.  Her  gentle  manners  and 
winning  ways  soon  gained  for  her  the  friendship  of  all.  Par 
ticularly  was  this  noticeable  on  the  part  of  the  women,  but  she 
was  not  wanting  in  attentions  from  any.  The  kind  young 
people  of  her  own  sex  took  special  delight  in  administering  to 
her  wants,  and  all  the  comforts  that  the  city  afforded  were 
bounteously  heaped  upon  her.  The  style  of  her  garments, 
differing  so  radically  from  their  own,  interested  this  class  of 
the  population  amazingly.  They  were  really  of  a  kind  that 
had  never  before  been  seen  nor  dreamed  of  in  that  locality,  and 
they  seemed  to  promise  as  much  of  comfort  on  account  of 
their  pattern  as  of  pleasure  from  being  of  a  fashion  entirely 
new.  It  was  asserted  that  their  delight  with  the  dress  of  Alola 
was  only  excelled  by  their  admiration  for  its  wearer.  Besides 
fitting  her  well,  and  showing  off  to  the  best  advantage  the 
graces  of  her  person,  it  was  profusely  ornamented  with  fringes 


232  CALIFORNIA 

and  feathers.  To  tell  the  simple  truth,  and  we  know  no  reason 
why  we  should  not,  it  had  been  gotten  up  at  her  home,  with 
the  aid  of  the  good  Santos  dames,  in  anticipation  of  her  mar 
riage  with  the  gallant  Gosee,  as  a  sort  of  bridal  attire,  and  it 
was  lacking  neither  in  good  taste,  nor  in  true  regal  style.  That 
the  genius  of  Manuelo  was  manifest  in  its  general  construction, 
there  can  be  no  question,  but  not  with  the  expectation  that 
his  rival,  the  envious  Gosee,  would  draw  any  pleasure  there 
from.  The  head-dress  of  Alola  was  simple  and  tasty,  and 
made  of  the  finest  of  fur,  but  with  few  ornaments  of  any  sort, 
as  they  were  not  at  all  needed  to  set  off  her  comely  features. 
Beauty  unadorned  is  always  the  sweetest,  and  so  in  her  case. 
No  marvel,  certainly,  all  these  things  considered,  that  the  gay 
and  festive  Anglos  maidens  were  well  pleased  with  their  un 
expected  female  visitor. 

The  king  and  the  principal  prophets  adopted  costumes 
similar  in  fashion  to  Manuelo's,  as  soon  as  they  could  be  pre 
pared.  In  a  spirit  of  true  magnanimity  the  strangers  rendered 
the  Anglos  of  both  sexes  all  the  assistance  they  were  able  in 
fabricating  garments  after  the  style  of  their  own.  In  this  way, 
and  by  other  kindly  acts,  Manuelo  and  his  gentle  bride  in 
gratiated  themselves  with  the  people  of  the  city,  and  of  the 
neighboring  villages,  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time.  In 
reality  Manuelo  acquired,  according  to  the  words  of  the  manu 
script,  as  much  popularity  with  the  Anglos  as  he  had  ever 
enjoyed  with  the  Santos  in  his  palmiest  days,  and  it  would 
have  been  known  just  as  well,  had  the  fact  not  been  told  us, 
that  he  was  more  than  delighted  this  time  to  share  his  popu 
larity  with  his  charmfhg  young  wife.  They  were  hospitably 
provided  with  the  best  of  quarters,  in  a  great  lodge  near  the 
dwellings  of  the  head  men  of  the  nation,  and  there,  securely 
ensconced,  the  loving  pair  were  as  happy  as  human  beings 
could  be  under  the  most  auspicious  circumstances.  It  was  a 
most  fortunate  thing  for  them  at  the  beginning,  that  neither 


350  YEARS  AGO.  233 

was  able  to  converse  freely  in  the  tongue  of  this  people,  since 
they  were  thereby  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  entering  upon 
an  extended  explanation  of  their  sudden  and.  most  unlooked- 
for  visit.  But  this  duty  was  deferred  only  a  short  time,  for 
the  Anglos  dialect  was  not  difficult  to  acquire,  and  they  were 
constrained  after  a  while,  by  many  importunities,  to  give  an 
account  of  themselves,  which  they  did,  precisely  in  accordance 
with  the  plan  as  laid  out  in  their  last  night's  watch  upon  the 
mountain.  These  people,  like  the  Barbos,  were  given  to  un 
derstand  that  the  purpose  of  the  wanderers  was  to  continue 
their  journey  at  some  future  day  to  the  South,  for  reasons 
already  detailed,  but  not  necessary  to  be  repeated  here. 

The  Anglos  differed  not  essentially  from  the  other  inhabit 
ants  of  Upper  California,  at  that  remote  period,  in  their  habits 
and  mode  of  living,  but  were  regarded  by  Manuelo  as  a  little 
shade  less  enlightened  than  the  swift  footed  Santos;  nor  were 
they  so  numerous  a  nation.  Their  territory,  likewise,  was  more 
circumscribed,  but  they  were,  nevertheless,  a  warlike  people, 
and  their  chief,  or  king,  exercised  his  rule  with  almost  as  much 
despotism  as  was  exhibited  by  the  old  king  of  the  Modens. 
He  was  more  considerate,  however,  with  his  authority,  and 
among  the  people  at  large  was  accustomed  to  require  much  less 
of  servility  than  was  exacted  from  the  Oaks  by  their  king.  He 
was  still  a  powerful  man  physically,  though  past  the  middle  of 
life,  and  was  generally  foremost  in  war,  in  hunting,  and  in  ath 
letic  sports. 

The  Barbos  had  not  misrepresented  the  facts  in  saying  that 
he  was  fond  of  war,  and  he  was  on  terms  of  absolute  friend 
ship  with  none  of  the  neighboring  nations.  His  principal  and 
most  active  enemy  joined  his  territory  on  the  south,  and  with 
these  people,  who  were  known  as  the  Dagos,  he  was  frequently 
in  open  hostility  and  with  ever-varying  results.  In  the  last  con 
flict  the  Anglos  had  been  worsted,  and  the  chief's  proud  spirit 
still  writhed  under  the  castigation  then  received,  and  he  burned 


234  CALIFORNIA 

for  an  opportunity  of  revenge.  In  truth,  he  had  been  severely 
wounded  in  the  head  with  a  missile  of  some  sort,  sent  by  a 
Dago  brave,  and  the  wound  was  hardly  yet  healed  when  Man- 
uelo  and  his  female  companion  arrived  in  the  country.  He 
congratulated  himself  with  having  slain  in  that  battle,  with  his 
own  hands,  several  of  the  stalwart  warriors  of  the  Dagos,  but 
their  king  was  still  spared,  and  it  was  against  him  in  particular 
that  Mosoto's  enmity  (for  that  was  the  name  of  the  king  of 
the  Anglos)  was  particularly  directed.  The  king  of  the  Dagos, 
more  than  two  years  before,  had  captured  and  carried  off  the 
favorite  wife  of  Mosoto,  while  she  was  out  with  others  gather 
ing  berries  near  the  border,  an  indignity  to  which  the  resolute 
Mosoto  could  never  bring  his  mind  to  submit  with  any  degree 
of  composure.  He  had  little  hope  of  ever  recovering  his  lost 
wife,  but  he  was  constantly  thirsting  for  vengeance  upon  her 
captor,  and  for  that  reason,  hostile  incursions  were  undertaken 
into  the  country  of  his  rival  as  often  as  the  requisite  prepara 
tions  could  be  made. 

The  prowess  of  the  enemy — the  Dagos — who  numbered  many 
valiant  warriors,  deterred  the  Anglos  people  from  these  expe 
ditions  oftener  than  enforced  by  the  angry  king,  but  they  were 
nevertheless  quite  sure  to  be  set  on  foot  as  frequently  as  once 
a  year,  and  sometimes  more  than  once  in  the  same  season. 
Mosoto  had  it  in  purpose  to  try  the  fortunes  of  war  with  the 
Dagos  again  that  summer,  and  he  readily  saw  that  he  could 
turn  the  talents  of  Manuelo,  if  Manuelo  was  so  disposed,  to 
good  account  in  fitting  out  this  contemplated  expedition.  A 
great  point  he  could  perceive  had  been  gained  in  the  form  of 
the  clothing  his  people  had  been  taught  by  the  strangers  to 
wear,  and,  besides,  Manuelo  had  made  some  suggestions  in 
regard  to  the  shape  and  use  of  the  weapons  of  warfare  of  the 
Anglos,  which  were  regarded  as  highly  advantageous.  But  it 
was  in  the  management  of  the  campagin  itself  from  which 
Mosoto  hoped  to  derive  most  advantage  from  the  readily 


350  YEARS  AGO.  235 

observed  genius  of  his  singular  guest  When  this  fact  became 
known,  Manuelo  contemplated  with  some  dismay  the  use 
intended  to  be  made  of  himself;  and  even  the  prospect  of  being 
invested  with  the  dignity  of  commander-in-chief  failed  to  dis 
pel  'his  apprehensions  of  danger  in  the  movement.  His 
exceedingly  disastrous  experience  in  the  fight  with  the  Modens 
had  weaned  him,  so  to  speak,  of  the  desire  for  military  renown, 
and  though  he  was  quite  willing  to  render  what  assistance  he 
could  in  fitting  out  an  expedition,  he  felt  a  great  deal  of  reluc 
tance  about  taking  an  active  part  in  it;  and  what  was  worse,  the 
very  thought  of  his  going  off  to  war  again  was  exceedingly  dis 
tasteful  to  little  Alola,  who  could  not  help  picturing  to  herself 
a  repetition  of  the  painful  servitude  her  husband  had  suffered 
while  a  prisoner  with  the  cruel  Modens;  and  even  worse,  for  she 
greatly  feared,  from  what  she  could  learn  about  the  formidable 
Dagos,  that  he  might  be  slain  outright. 

On  her  account,  therefore,  more  than  on  his  own,  he  seri 
ously  contemplated  an  early  desertion  of  the  Anglos,  and  actu 
ally  thought  of  making  his  way  with  his  bride  to  the  country  of 
the  Dagos,  since  it  lay  to  the  south.  But  this  step  he  knew 
must  be  planned,  and  at  the  same  time  accomplished,  surrepti 
tiously,  if  at  all,  and  that  would  be  an  undertaking  fraught  with, 
probably,  as  much  danger  to  himself,  and  infinitely  more 
to  his  wife,  than  to  join  heartily,  and  at  once,  in  the  campaign 
against  the  Dagos.  By  no  means  could  he  persuade  himself  to 
a  step  which  would,  more  than  any  other,  jeopardize  the  safety 
of  the  one  he  loved  so  tenderly.  It  was  with  apparent  zest, 
therefore,  that  he  took  an  active  part  from  that  moment  in  the 
preparations  for  the  war,  believing  that  he  could  thus,  in  a 
measure,  control  the  movement  for  his  own  purposes,  judging 
wisely  that  his  return  to  Alola  would  depend  thereupon,  and 
that  her  happiness  forever  afterwards  would  hang  upon  the 
success  of  the  campaign. 

According  to  Justino's  account  of  the  affair,  Manuelo,  with 


236  CALIFORNIA 

all  his  fears,  betrayed  a  little  streak  of  vanity,  such  as  many 
another  embryo  general  had  felt  before  him,  and  as  some  may 
possibly  since  have  felt,  at  a  prospect  of  promotion,  and  he  was 
less  reluctant  to  enter  into  the  war  on  that  account.  He  con 
fessed  to  some  gratification  springing  out  of  the  great  confi 
dence  reposed  in  him  by  the  king,  in  voluntarily  offering  him 
the  management  of  this  delicate  and  dangerous  business. 

The  matter  having  been  fully  considered  in  every  point  by 
Manuelo  and  Alola,  and  the  work  of  the  campaign  laid  out,  so 
far  as  it  could  be,  in  all  its  diversified  particulars,  it  was  reluc 
tantly  entered  upon,  though  with  all  apparent  good-will,  Man 
uelo  not  betraying  to  anyone,  except  to  his  fair  bride,  his  real 
sentiments. 

Most  diligent  exertions  for  several  weeks  were  required  to 
equip  and  prepare  the  Anglos  warriors  as  he  directed.  Each 
man  was  to  be  clad  in  close-fitting  garments  instead  of  a  blanket 
of  skins,  as  theretofore,  and  the  more  vital  parts  of  each  soldier's 
person  were  to  be  partially  protected  from  the  arrows  and  jave 
lins  of  the  enemy  by  patches  of  the  thick  hide  of  the  bear,  or 
of  some  other  large  animal,  sewed  into  the  garment.  The 
soldiers  were  shod  with  more  substantial  moccasins  than  had 
been  their  custom  to  wear,  so  that  they  could  clamber  over 
sharp  rocks,  and  even  trample  upon  the  prickly  cactus,  with 
impunity.  Each  warrior's  head  was  adorned  with  a  helmet, 
fashioned  out  of  the  firmest  leather  that  could  be  made  in  that 
country,  and  these  were  ornamented  with  the  tails  of  wolver 
ines,  foxes,  and  other  wild  creatures.  Each  helmet  was  crested 
with  an  abundance  of  the  longest  feathers  that  could  be  pro 
cured,  much  after  the  manner  of  civilized  nations;  and  with 
these  they  presented  a  remarkably  martial  appearance.  No 
very  radical  change  could  be  made  by  Manuelo  in  the  con 
struction  of  their  weapons,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  implements 
at  hand  for  their  manufacture;  but,  as  a  compensation  for 
this  disadvantage,  each  soldier  was  able  to  arm  himself  with  a 


•  350  YEARS  AGO.  237 

greater  number  of  weapons,  by  reason  of  his  having  fewer 
incumbrances  of  other  kinds.  In  addition  to  the  protection 
their  uniforms  afforded,  one  whole  division  of  the  army  was 
furnished  with  shields,  or  bucklers,  usually  of  more  than  one 
thickness  of  skins,  stretched  upon  a  strong  hoop  of  wood,  and 
always  of  more  than  one  thickness,  unless  of  the  heaviest  kind. 
By  much  practice  this  division  became  remarkably  expert  in 
receiving  weapons  cast  towards  them,  upon  these  bucklers,  and 
turning  such  weapons  aside. 

Instead  of  burdening  each  man  with  his  own  stock  of  pro 
visions,  as  had  been  the  custom  from  time  immemorial  with 
the  Anglos,  a  commissary  department,  so  to  speak,  was 
provided,  and  men  less  fitted  for  battle  were  detailed  to  carry 
the  food.  The  organization  of  this  corps,  so  very  unusual 
among  them,  cost  the  general  an  infinite  amount  of  trouble 
and  annoyance,  the  tendency  of  the  individuals  in  that  de 
partment  being  always  towards  a  too  hasty  consumption  of  the 
supplies.  But  by  the  severest  discipline  they  were  brought  to 
a  perfect  discharge  of  their  duty,  before  the  campaign  began. 
Manuelo  was  a  native  of  Barcelona,  and  had  seen  enough  of 
military  maneuvering  in  the  land  of  his  birth  when  a  boy,  to 
enable  him  to  put  his  army  through  a  sort  of  drill  each  day, 
for  several  weeks  in  succession,  before  setting  out  on  the  ex 
pedition. 

His  own  military  dress  was  carefully  prepared  by  the  assist 
ance  of  Alola,  with  special  reference  to  the  safety  of  its  wearer. 
He  selected  the  very  best  of  the  skins  for  himself,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  arrow  or  dart,  or  even  a  javelin,  could  have  pene 
trated  any  portion  of  his  uniform  with  fatal  effect,  when  it  was 
completed;  while  he  relied  upon  his  shield  for  the  protection 
of  his  face,  in  the  event  of  his  being  exposed  to  the  missiles  of 
the  adversary,  which,  b)i  the  way,  he  hoped,  as  commander-in- 
chief,  to  avoid,  as  was  customary  with  all  well-regulated  armies. 

His  forces  were  prudently  divided  into  several  different  corps 


238  CALIFORNIA  • 

— how  many  was  not  stated  in  the  manuscript — and  a  com 
petent  officer  was  designated  to  take  charge  of  each,  while 
Manuelo  was  to  be  in  command  of  the  whole,  to  direct  the 
movements  of  all.  At  the  head  of  the  principal  division,  and 
the  one  that  was  to  be  in  the  lead,  was  the  formidable  king 
himself,  whose  giant  frame,  surtopped  with  the  tallest  of  plumes, 
was  the  most  conspicuous  figure  in  the  whole  army.  If  Man 
uelo  was  proud  of  his  command,  it  is  needless  to  say  that  Mo- 
soto  was  still  more  proud  of  his  share  of  the  same,  and  he 
chafed  at  the  little  delay  that  was  deemed  necessary  by  the  real 
commander  to  make  ready  for  an  entirely  successful  cam 
paign. 

In  view  of  the  pageant,  in  which  her  husband  was  the  leading 
spirit,  Alola's  objections  to  the  enterprise  gradually  grew  less, 
and  it  is  no  discourtesy  to  say  that  her  admiration  for  the  gen 
eral  overcame  in  some  degree  her  early  scruples  about  his  en 
gaging  in  a  war  in  which  he  had  really  no  concern,  and  against 
a  people  that  had  never  done  either  him  or  her  any  harm,  no, 
not  even  the  slightest.  But  it  is  not  the  first  instance,  said 
Father  Justino,  where  military  glamor  has  obliterated  the  sense 
of  justice,  and  blinded  the  eyes  of  men,  and  women  too,  to  the 
horrors  of  bloody  war.  It  has  been  a  common  thing  in  all 
ages  for  people  to  become  so  dazzled  by  the  glory  and  splendor 
of  military  movements,  as  to  forget  all  the  dire  consequences. 

LXIX. 
WAR  WITH  THE  DAGOS 

PERFECTLY  equipped  and  disciplined,  as  they  now  were, 
and  well  supplied  with  provisions,  this  Anglos  army  of  scarcely 
a  thousand  fighting  men,  bearing  arms,  and  not  more  than 
fifteen  hundred  of  all  ranks,  and  including  camp  followers,  filed 
out  of  the  city,  by  the  principal  southern  exit,  and  took  up 
their  line  of  march  towards  the  country  of  the  Dagos.  As 


350  YEARS  AGO.  239 

they  moved  off  in  a  long  extended  column,  in  perfect  order, 
they  might  be  likened — if  great  things  may  be  compared  to 
small — to  a  large  flock  of  wild  geese  going  South,  as  the  ad 
vancing  season  invites  their  return  from  the  high  Arctic  regions, 
where  they  have  spent  the  summer  in  multiplying,  and  recruit 
ing  their  energies,  upon  the  fresher  products'of  the  North.  So 
the  Anglos  army,  with  long,  waving  line,  their  leader  a  little  in 
advance,  but  with  rear-guard  somewhat  disorganized,  bore  away 
to  the  southward,  on  that  beautiful  midsummer  morning. 

In  less  than  a  week  these  exulting  forces  were  in  the  heart 
of  the  enemy's  country.  But  the  wary  Dagos,  ever  on  the 
alert  for  their  foes,  had  observed  their  approach ;  and  the  prog 
ress  of  the  Anglos,  day  by  day,  had  been  reported  by  heralds 
to  the  king  of  that  nation,  who,  with  the  utmost  alacrity,  gath 
ered  together  his  forces  also,  and  made  ready  to  meet  and  give 
battle  to  his  hereditary  foe.  With  the  utmost  confidence  on 
either  side  the  two  armies  proudly  approached  each  other,  both 
eager  for  the  fray. 

The  Dagos  outnumbered  the  Anglos  more  than  two  to  one; 
but  this  fact  was  not  unknown  to  Manuelo,  who,  like  a  skillful 
general  as  he  was,  took  account  of  it  by  drawing  up  his  forces 
on  the  right  bank  of  a  small  river,  just  where  it  debouches  into 
the  ocean,  so  that  his  right  wing  rested  upon  the  sea,  leaving 
no  opportunity  for  the  enemy  to  pass  between  him  and  the 
water.  His  left  wing,  in  like  manner,  rested  upon  a  high  bluff, 
rendering  it  as  impossible  for  the  Dagos  to  turn  that  flank; 
and  in  this  situation  he  was  aware  that  the  fight  must  be  a 
square  face  to  face  contest,  in  which  case  he  judged  his  own 
men  would  possess  greatly  the  advantage,  by  reason  of  their 
superior  armorial  defenses.  To  choose  this  favorable  position 
he  was  admonished  by  his  sad  experience  at  the  time  of  the 
bloody  fight  between  the  Santos  and  the  Modens,  in  which,  it 
will  be  remembered,  the  battle  and  his  own  liberty,  at  the  same 
time,  were  lost,  as  the  result  of  a  flank  movement.  It  was  not 


240  CALIFORNIA 

so  much  for  his  own  safety  as  out  of  regard  for  the  loving 
Alola,  that  Manuelo  selected  for  himself  the  securest  place  in 
the  whole  line,  or,  rather,  in  the  rear  of  the  line,  where  he 
could  spur  on  his  warriors  to  greater  exertions,  in  case  the  tide 
of  battle  might  require  it.  It  was  no  slight  evidence  of  his 
prowess  as  a  commander,  that  he  was  able  to  inspire  all  his 
men,  from  Mosoto  down,  with  confidence,  and  even  with  en 
thusiasm. 

Posted  as  we  have  seen,  Manuelo  and  his  gallant  army 
calmly  awaited  the  approach  of  the  bloody  Dagos,  who  in 
vastly  superior  numbers  came  up,  at  the  expected  hour,  in  hot 
haste  and  with  shouts  that  almost  made  Manuelo's  hair  stand 
on  end,  as  he  said;  but  the  inveterate  Anglos,  nothing  daunted, 
received  the  first  discharge  of  arrows  from  the  other  side  upon 
their  bucklers,  almost  without  harm,  and  then  returned  the  fire 
with  terrible  effect.  The  fight  at  once  became  general  and 
desperate,  but  Manuelo's  brave  men  held  their  ground,  deal 
ing  blow  for  blow  with  most  fatal  results,  to  the  astonished 
Dagos.  Urged  on  by  their  desperate  leaders,  the  enemy  now 
advanced  across  the  shallow  stream  separating  the  two  armies, 
and  coming  upon  the  lines  of  the  Anglos  at  several  points  at 
the  same  moment,  the  battle  was  fast  assuming  the  form  of  a 
hand-to-hand  contest.  Just  then,  foremost  in  the  fight,  on  the 
Anglos  side,  was  observed  the  herculean  frame  of  the  fierce 
Mosoto,  moving  to  and  fro  in  the  line,  protected  by  his  huge 
armor,  and  striking  to  the  right  and  the  left,  slaughtering  his 
opponents  in  great  numbers,  but  receiving  little  or  no  harm  in 
return.  Manuelo,  noticing  the  advantage  thus  gained,  could 
not  restrain  his  own  fiery  disposition — general  though  he  was — 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  fray,  and  his  weapons  did  good 
execution.  Encouraged  by  these  noble  examples  of  individual 
bravery,  the  men  advanced,  with  loud  cries  of  exultation,  and 
not  only  checked,  but  drove  back  the  Dagos  again,  across  the 
narrow  river,  The  Anglos  had  been  taught  that  their  security 


350  YEARS  AGO.  241 

from  hostile  weapons  lay  in  keeping  theij;  faces  to  the  foe, 
for  their  backs  had  been  purposely  left  unprotected  in  order  to 
discourage  retreat.  In  flight,  Manuelo,  not  being  over-swift  of 
foot,  would  have  stood  a  poor  chance  of  escape,  and  this  fact 
had  been  shrewdly  taken  into  account  by  him  in  the  prepara 
tion  of  his  army.  The  Dagos  were  completely  surprised  by  the 
new  and  strange  accouterments  of  their  old  enemies,  and  being 
stricken  with  dismay  at  their  apparent  imperturbability,  a  rout 
ensued.  The  triumphant  Anglos  followed  up  their  victory 
sharply,  and  the  consternation  of  the  enemy  increased  at  every 
step.  In  compact  order  and  under  good  command,  but  with 
terrific  and  repeated  yells,  the  pursuit  was  continued  the  bal 
ance  of  the  day,  and  until,  weary  with  the  chase,  a  halt  was 
called  by  Manuelo,  for  the  night,  in  a  secure  place  by  the  sea. 

The  Anglos  were  elated  beyond  expression  by  their  success, 
and  now  felt  themselves  invincible.  Their  casualties  had  been 
few  and  their  wounded  were  easily  provided  for.  These  were, 
by  order  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  put  in  charge  of  the  com 
missary  department,  and,  to  say  the  least,  they  were  well  fed 
Manuelo  was  now  a  hero  indeed,  and  every  tongue  was  loud  in 
his  praise.  No  one  was  more  ready  to  do  him  honor  than 
Mosoto  himself,  who  was  really  overjoyed  with  the  victory. 
When  fairly  in  camp,  and  supper  over,  a  council  of  war  was 
called  by  the  chief,  and  it  was  resolved  on  the  morrow  to  con 
tinue  the  pursuit. 

The  king  of  the  Dagos,  a  most  desperate  character,  was 
afforded  sufficient  time  during  the  night  to  rally  his  shattered 
forces,  and,  without  consulting  his  chiefs  or  his  prophets,  he 
determined  to  make  a  stand  on  the  following  day,  and  to  renew 
the  conflict.  This  time  he  had  the  selection  of  his  own  ground, 
and  choosing  a  pass  in  the  mountain  through  which  the  retreat 
had  to  be  made,  he  there  drew  up  his  crippled  army  for  a  last 
desperate  struggle. 

This  advantage  of  the  enemy  was  noticed  at  once  by  Man- 
16 


242  CALIFORNIA 

uelo  as  he  proceeded  on  the  next  day,  and  in  so  great  doubt 
was  he  as  to  his  ability  to  surmount  the  difficulty  before  him, 
that  he  called  a  halt,  and,  at  the  same  time,  another  council  of 
war,  and  took  the  advice  of  his  corps  commanders  as  to  whether 
they  should  undertake  it  or  not.  Elated  by  their  victory  of 
the  day  before,  which  was  certainly  glorious  enough,  they  were 
unanimous  in  the  wish  to  prosecute  the  war  with  vigor,  and 
consequently,  without  much  delay,  an  assault  was  made,  by  a 
select  body  of  the  Anglos  with  Mosoto  at  their  head,  upon  the 
strong  position  of  the  Dagos.  The  assaulting  party  was  sup 
ported  by  the  entire  force  of  Manuelo,  which  rushed  forward 
when  the  word  was  given,  with  an  impetuosity  that  would  have 
done  credit,  as  was  said,  to  the  very  best  soldiers  of  the  great 
King  Charles.  There  was  no  withstanding  the  onslaught, 
though  the  stubborn  Dagos,  who  were  now  fighting,  not  for  glory 
merely,  but  for  their  homes,  their  families,  and  their  firesides, 
resisted  with  the  most  unaccountable  determination.  The  fight 
was  persisted  in  for  some  time  with  unexampled  energy,  before 
the  pass  was  finally  made,  but  the  enemy  were  compelled  to 
yield  to  the  better  equipments  of  the  Anglos,  and  were  driven 
again  in  great  confusion  towards  their  capital. 

This  second  battle  with  the  Dagos  was  won  about  the  middle 
of  the  day,  and  before  sundown  the  heroic  little  army,  under 
the  brave  Manuelo,  with  hasty  steps  marched  into  the  principal 
city  of  their  discomfited  enemies.  They  were  preceded,  of 
course,  by  the  dismayed  and  flying  soldiers  of  the  Dago  king, 
and  their  approach  being  known,  the  women  and  children  of 
that  nation,  old  and  young,  fled  precipitately  to  the  mountains, 
in  the  greatest  consternation.  A  few  only  remained  behind, 
but  among  these  was  the  stolen  and  long-absent  wife  of  Mosoto; 
and  here  we  are  compelled  to  relate,  or  rather  translate,  an  event 
most  sorrowful.  Gladly  would  the  translator  avoid  the  narra 
tion  of  it  entirely  if  he  could  with  propriety,  and  the  mind  of 
the  sensitive  reader  should  not  be  harrowed  up  by  an  account 


350  YEARS  AGO.  243 

of  the  occurrence,  could  he  be  permitted  to  have  his  own  way, 
but  the  truth  of  history  demands,  imperatively,  at  his  hands,  a 
performance  of  the  task,  however  disagreeable. 

This  poor  woman,  not  greeting  Mosoto,  her  former  husband, 
with  as  much  cordiality  as  he  thought  it  was  his  right  to  ex 
pect,  possibly  not  recognizing  him  in  his  new  and  strange  uni 
form,  was  cruelly  slaughtered  by  him  in  cold  blood,  then  and 
there.  This  horrible  event,  in  the  mind  of  the  good  Manuelo, 
detracted  vastly  from  the  glory  of  the  campaign,  and  he  could 
never  think  of  it  without  actual  regrets  that  he  had  undertaken 
the  war  at  all,  for  so  heartless  and  revengeful  a  person.  He 
could  not  to  his  own  satisfaction  account  for  the  motives  that 
induced  such  a  blood-thirsty  act,  and  least  of  all  could  he  forgive 
it.  The  thought  of  it  always  brought  tears  to  his  eyes,  and 
when  the  sad  event  was  related  by  him  to  Alola,  as  it  was  in 
pathetic  terms,  she  too  wept  bitterly.  There  had  been  no  chance 
for  Manuelo  to  interfere,  or  even  to  expostulate  with  the  cruel 
king  before  the  bloody  deed  was  accomplished,  so  hasty  was  it. 
But  Manuelo's  anger  was  thoroughly  aroused  at  the  time  against 
the  author  of  it,  and,  as  he  acknowledged,  he  would  have  slain 
Mosoto  on  the  spot,  and  in  the  presence  of  his  victim,  had  he 
been  armed,  as  he  wished  he  had  been,  with  his  sword  and 
pistols. 

In  discussing  the  matter  afterwards,  Manuelo  was  of  the 
opinion  that  this  dreadful  tragedy  might  be  attributable,  in  part 
at  least,  to  the  wicked  passions  of  Mosoto,  whose  love  for  the 
poor,  gentle  Red  Berry  having  been  once  very  great,  as  every 
body  knew,  was  suddenly  converted,  by  the  magic  power  of 
jealousy,  into  uncontrollable  hate,  on  beholding  her  the  wife  of 
another.  The  less  sentimental  Dominican,  friar,  turning  the 
matter  over  in  his  own  mind,  suggested  that  the  fell  deed  may 
have  been  the  result  of  sheer  habit;  that  Mosoto,  having  been 
so  vigorously  employed  for  the  last  two  days  in  slaughtering 
people,  may  have  actually  killed  poor  Red  Berry  without  much 


244  CALIFORNIA 

thinking.  But  the  more  probable  opinion  is  the  one  enter 
tained  by  Manuelo  and  concurred  in  by  Alola,  that  Mosoto's 
enmity  towards  the  king  of  the  Uagos  was  at  the  bottom 
of  the  whole  thing,  and  that  he  could  not  bear  to  behold 
the  slender  person  of  his  inamorata,  embellished  as  it  was,  with 
raven  locks,  with  ruby  lips,  and  teeth  of  pearl,  in  the  posses 
sion  of  another,  and  that  one  to  him  the  most  detested  being 
on  earth.  These  views  of  Manuelo  were  fortified  by  an  allu 
sion  to  the  Moor  of  Venezia,  and  the  fair  Desdemona,  the 
tragic  story  of  whom  was  often  repeated  throughout  the  Spanish 
world  in  those  days.  Had  there  been  some  miserable  lago  in 
the  army,  to  excite,  by  false  insinuations  against  the  meek-eyed 
Red  Berry,  the  fiery  temper  of  Mosoto,  Alola  would  have  had 
no  doubt  as  to  the  motives  which  led  to  the  untimely  death  of 
the  poor,  defenseless  woman. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  affair  wrought  a  complete 
change  in  the  feelings  of  Manuelo  towards  the  king.  But 
they  were  yet  in  the  captured  city  of  the  enemy,  and  there  was 
no  opportunity  now  to  show  his  indignation,  surrounded  as  they 
were  on  every  hand  by  a  people  greatly  superior  to  the  Anglos 
in  numbers,  and  capable,  to  say  the  least,  of  giving  them  much 
annoyance.  Without  bestowing  protracted  consideration  upon 
the  subject  just  then,  Manuelo  posted  a  strong  guard  at  every 
entrance  to  the  city,  and  the  conquerors  rested  in  the  enemy's 
stronghold  that  night,  but  not  before  observations  first  made  as 
to  a  proper  line  of  retreat  to  a  place  of  greater  safety,  in  case  of 
a  night  attack. 

The  Dagos,  however,  were  too  seriously  disconcerted  to 
disturb  his  repose,  and  on  the  following  morning,  by  the  peep  of 
day,  the  Anglos  battalions  were  on  their  line  of  march  towards 
their  own  homes,  taking  with  them  such  booty  as  they  desired, 
and  leading  captive  a  few  prisoners  of  war.  After  the  first 
day  their  march  was  by  easy  stages,  and  in  less  than  a  week 
their  return  was  greeted  with  the  most  unbounded  demonstra- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  245 

tions  of  joy,  by  all  the  people  of  the  Anglos  nation  assembled 
in  the  capital  for  that  purpose.  The  heart  of  the  fascinating 
Alola  overflowed  with  delight  at  the  safe  return  of  her  gallant 
husband,  and  the  pleasure  she  enjoyed  in  a  rehearsal  by  himself 
of  the  events  of  the  campaign  was  only  alloyed  by  the  tragic 
occurrence  already  alluded  to,  but  which  is  altogether  too 
sorrowful  for  recapitulation. 


LXX. 

TROUBLE  WITH  MOSOTO. 

WE  have  now  reached  a  point  in  this  eventful  narrative 
where  some  embarrassment  is  liable  to  occur,  and  for  the  fol 
lowing  reason  :  all  the  remainder  of  the  manuscript — the  out 
side  portion  of  the  same — being  more  or  less  nibbled  away  by 
the  mice,  it  was  impossible  to  decipher  some  of  the  words, 
and  occasionlly  a  sentence  was  so  obscured  as  to  render  its 
interpretation  exceedingly  difficult.  As  a  consequence,  the 
ambitious  young  priests  of  Evora  who  had  this  literary  treasure 
in  their  keeping,  were  unable  to  give  it,  in  all  respects,  a  con 
struction  absolutely  literal,  and  candor  compels  the  acknowl 
edgment  that  now  and  then  a  word,  and,  possibly,  the  frag 
ment  of  an  idea,  was  supplied  by  them  in  order  to  give  the 
story  an  intelligible  rendering.  All  the  remainder  of  this 
history,  therefore,  will  be  justly  obnoxious  to  the  suspicion  of 
being  in  some  small  degree  problematical  ;  nevertheless,  it  will 
be  quite  as  reliable  as  histories  in  general,  and  much  more  so, 
we  promise,  than  many  of  the  writings  of  the  most  renowned 
historiographers  of  these  times,  who,  it  is  well  understood, 
seldom  permit  facts,  particularly  if  they  happen  to  be  of  an 
unwholesome  nature,  to  stand  in  the  way  of  an  agreeable  nar 
ration. 

Writers  of  profane  history — called  profane  on  account  of  an 
irreverence  for  truth — are  as  likely  to  indulge  in  prevarication 


246  CALIFORNIA 

as  other  people,  and  much  more  likely  than  good,  pious 
monks,  who  rarely  do  anything  wrong,  and  who  in  this  instance, 
at  least,  did  all  in  their  power  to  get  at  the  exact  meaning  of 
the  scroll,  or  rather  at  the  ideas  of  Justino,  the  real  author  of 
the  same,  Manuelo  himself,  from  whom  was  obtained  the 
facts,  being  only  an  humble  actor  in  the  drama.  To  that  kind- 
hearted  Dominican  the  world  will  be  indebted  from  this  time 
on  for  all  that  is  known  concerning  Upper  California  at  that 
remote  period,  though  some  little  gratitude  may  possibly  be 
due  the  humble  translator  for  preparing  so  speedily  this  val 
uable  volume  for  the  printer.  Its  rendition  in  English,  and 
good  English  at  that,  has  been  no  mean  task,  and  the  duty  has 
been  interrupted  by  many  serious  misgivings.  Hence,  the 
world  will  never  know  the  risk  it  has  run  of  being  left  in  the 
dark  touching  the  events  recorded. 

Should  this  apology  be  satisfactory,  we  will  proceed,  without 
further  delay,  to  narrate  how  exceedingly  popular  Manuelo 
found  himself  on  his  return  with  his  little  army  of  heroes  from 
the  war  with  the  arrogant  Dagos,  and  how,  eventually,  but 
unexpectedly,  he  became  king  of  the  Anglos  in  consequence. 
That  he  was  inspired  to  both  these  movements- -we  mean  the 
one  against  the  Dagos,  and  the  other  towards  the  throne — 
more  by  his  love  for  Alola  than  by  any  ambition  of  his  own, 
there  can  be  no  question,  for  we  have  his  personal  authority  for 
the  statement  that  he  was  always  controlled  by  the  loftiest 
motives — a  fact  which  has  never  been  controverted.  The 
authority  in  this  case  is  precisely  the  same  as  that  upon  which 
rests  the  fame  of  Julius  Caesar,  who  also  gave  an  account  of 
his  own  exploits — and  the  one  authority  is  certainly  as  good  as 
the  other.  It  may  have  been  observed  already  that  the  expedi 
tion  of  our  hero  against  the  barbarous  Dagos  bears  a  striking 
similitude  to  that  of  the  great  Julius  against  the  Helvetians, 
and  this  parallelism  in  the  careers  of  the  two  personages  is  not 
by  any  means  lost  in  subsequent  events,  though,  of  course, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  247 

there  can  be  no  pretense  that  the  rude  Anglos  were  the  equals 
of  the  enlightened  Romans,  nor  that  the  political  power  of  the 
one  commander  bore  any  comparison  to  that  of  the  other. 
The  chief  difference  springs  from  the  circumstance  of  the  one 
people  being  well  acquainted  with  use  of  metals,  while  the 
other  was  wholly  ignorant  of  their  use;  and,  besides,  there  was 
some  difference  betwixt  them  in  point  of  numbers,  as  candor 
compels  us  to  admit,  and  in  the  extent  of  territory  of  the  two 
nations  also,  though  this  is  less  certain.  But  that  they  were 
all  human  beings  equally  brave  and  inspired  by  similar  motives, 
will  always  remain  true,  in  spite  of  any  apparent  discrepancies 
that  may  be  found  in  the  histories  of  the  two  men  and  the  two 
peoples. 

The  glory  of  Manuelo,  as  in  the  case  of  Caesar,  was  shared 
by  his  wife,  who  was  the  recipient  of  almost  as  many  con 
gratulations  from  the  grateful  Anglos  as  were  bestowed  upon 
her  noble  husband.  A  princess  herself  by  birth,  it  must  be 
presumed  that  she  enjoyed  to  the  fullest  extent  the  distinction 
so  worthily  won  by  Manuelo  in  the  army,  and  if  she  was 
incited  by  a  feeling  of  ambition,  it  ought  not  to  be  wondered 
at.  These  congratulations  so  worthily  bestowed  came  not 
from  "her  own  sex  alone,  they  were  united  in  by  the  men  as 
well,  and  men  of  all  ranks  and  classes.  The  greetings  of  the 
bravest  of  the  soldiers  were  so  cordial  as  to  amount  almost  to 
adoration,  and  though  she  was  anxious  to  do  so,  for  obvious 
reasons,  hereafter  to  be  mentioned,  she  could  illy  conceal  her 
blushes.  Possessing  all  the  acumen  of  a  true  woman,  Alola 
was  not  slow  to  perceive  that  the  attentions  shown  to  herself 
and  Manuelo  began  to  excite  in  the  breast  of  the  king  a  feel 
ing  of  envy.  His  cruel  treatment  of  his  former  wife,  the 
inoffensive  Red  Berry,  in  the  capital  of  the  enemy,  was 
regarded  with  horror  by  all  of  his  good  subjects  (as  well  as  by 
his  guests),  and  very  naturally  led  to  a  perceptible  coldness  on 
their  part  towards  him,  which  he  falsely  attributed  to  their 
new-born  esteem  for  Manuelo. 


248  CALIFORNIA 

To  make  matters  still  worse,  tyrant  that  he  was,  he  became 
smitten  with  the  beauty  of  the  dark-eyed  Alola,  and  conceived 
in  his  heart  a  purpose,  most  foul  and  wicked,  of  possessing  her 
for  his  own.  This  fact,  of  course,  first  became  known  to  the 
princess  herself,  and  caused  in  her  great  trouble  and  trepida 
tion  of  spirit.  When  reluctantly,  at  last,  the  cause  of  her  sor 
row  was  conveyed  to  her  gallant  husband,  his  indignation  was 
aroused  towards  its  author  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  his  resent 
ment  was  unbounded,  or  if  bounded  at  all,  it  was  by  prudence. 
His  first  inclination  was  to  leave,  without  delay,  the  dominions 
of  so  unjust  a  king,  but  the  war  with  the  Dagos,  whose  territory 
lay  in  that  direction,  forbade  his  continuing  his  journey  to  the 
southward,  else  he  must  have  left,  at  once,  with  his  beloved 
wife,  the  kind-hearted  Anglos,  and  sought  some  more  peaceful 
land,  where  would  be  less  danger  to  their  happiness,  and  where 
they  could  enjoy  that  domestic  tranquillity  to  which  they  were 
so  justly  entitled.  But  there  was  now  no  escape  for  the  lovers, 
except  to  retrace  their  steps  towards  the  country  from  which 
they  had  fled,  and  that  would  be  no  less  dangerous  to  their 
peace  of  mind  than  to  remain  where  they  were.  Therefore 
they  reluctantly  chose  the  latter  alternative,  resolving  to  make 
the  most  of  the  situation.  It  required  much  exertion  on  the 
part  of  Manuelo  to  conceal  his  real  feelings  towards  the  wicked 
king,  but  he  was  put  upon  his  guard,  knowing  that  Mosoto 
would  like  nothing  so  well  as  a  personal  encounter,  and 
realizing  that,  in  all  probability,  he  would  seek  to  accomplish  his 
nefarious  designs  by  first  depriving  Alola  of  her  husband,  in 
some  way  or  other.  The  king  could  see,  as  well  as  anybody, 
the  strong  attachment  which  existed  between  the  wanderers, 
and  he  knew  full  well  that  it  must  be  broken  in  some  manner 
before  he  could  accomplish  anything.  But  he  was  reckoning 
without  his  guests,  for  Manuelo  was  an  obstacle  not  easily  to 
be  removed,  unless  by  violence,  and  both  Manuelo  and  Alola 
were  duly  cautious  not  to  give  him  an  opportunity. 


850  YEARS  AGO.  249 

While  a  captive  with  the  Modens,  Manuelo  had,  as  we  know, 
some  experience  in  setting  on  foot  a  public  insurrection,  and 
that  experience  stood  him  in  excellent  part  at  this  time.  Like 
Caesar  before  him,  he  kept  control  of  his  military  organization 
by  the  practice  of  drilling  and  exercising  them  almost  daily. 
With  great  shrewdness  he  courted  the  favor  of  the  army,  by 
pleasant  suggestions  of  one  sort  and  another,  until,  as  he 
believed,  every  man  would  have  died  for  him  had  there  been 
any  real  necessity  for  it. 

In  the  meantime  there  was  no  neglect  on  his  own  part,  or 
that  of  Alola  and  her  intimate  friends,  to  keep  vividly  before 
the  minds  of  as  many  people  as  could  safely  be  approached,  a 
picture  of  the  dreadful  slaughter  by  the  king  of  his  lost  wife. 
The  matter  was  whispered  throughout  the  city  by  thousands  of 
trembling  lips,  and  no  one  was  found  to  justify  the  deed. 
This  vindictive  act  of  the  revengeful  tyrant  was  portrayed  by 
Alola  in  all  its  repulsive  enormity,  and  her  womanly  eloquence 
gathered  tenfold  more  fire  from  the  danger  in  her  own  situa 
tion,  from  this  same  identical  person.  She  could  but  reflect 
that,  as  the  poor  unfortunate  Red  Berry  had  been,  while  with 
the  Dagos,  so  she  herself  now  was  in  a  strange  city,  and  how 
was  she  to  know  that  the  poor  woman  had  not  been  held  there 
by  some  attachment  no  less  powerful  than  that  which  bound 
herself  to  Manuelo.  This  idea  was  strengthened  in  the  mind 
of  the  thoughtful  Alola  by  her  reflection  upon  the  fiendish 
character  of  Mosoto,  who,  she  firmly  believed,  was  never  en 
titled  to  the  affections  of  any  good  woman,  and  least  of  all  to 
the  love  of  Red  Berry,  who,  she  was  assured,  was  a  person  of 
most  gentle  and  loving  disposition.  Alola  even  suspected, 
though  she  was  careful  to  express  her  misgivings  to  Manuelo 
alone,  that  the  sorrowful  Red  Berry  had  not  been  captured  by 
the  Dagos  at  all,  but  had  simply  fled  with  some  lover,  and 
taken  refuge  from  the  anger  of  Mosoto,  by  resorting  to  the  land 
of  his  enemies.  Why  otherwise,  reasoned  Alola,  should  he 


250  CALIFORNIA 

have  killed  her?  Why  otherwise  should  he  have  expressed  no 
remorse?  And  how,  she  continued,  could  it  be  possible  for 
him,  if  he  were  not  a  thoroughly  bad  man,  to  show  such  a 
fiendish  disposition  as  to  seek  to  destroy  the  domestic  happi 
ness  of  herself  and  Manuelo? 

Father  Justino,  though  not  over-partial  to  the  other  sex,  with 
a  degree  of  candor  that  did  himself  infinite  credit,  conceded 
the  force  of  Alola's  argument,  although,  as  he  said,  by  way  of 
vindication  of  his  own  disposition,  it  had  no  better  support 
than  the  naked  suspicion  of  a  woman. 

This  bloody  transaction  engrossed  the  attention  of  the 
female  portion  of  the  Anglos  population  more  than  all  the 
other  occurrences  of  the  war,  and  frequently  bathed  in  tears 
were  those  who  knew  Mosoto's  victim  the  best.  As  often  as  it 
was  safe,  maledictions  were  heaped  upon  the  head  of  her 
destroyer,  not  only  by  Alola  but  by  others  of  her  friends.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  these  things  were  conducted  in  secret,  and 
the  chief,  suspecting  no  evil,  gradually  grew  bolder  in  his 
attentions  to  Alola,  until,  at  last,  his  conduct  became  unbeara 
ble.  If  it  was  annoying  to  Alola,  it  was  still  more  so  to  her 
faithful  husband,  who  could  illy  brook  any  indignity  shown  to 
his  loving  wife. 

But  Mosoto  being,  as  already  recorded,  a  powerful  man  in 
battle,  and  possessed  of  great  physical  strength,  Manuelo  was 
no  match  for  him  in  that  regard,  and  this  the  king  well  knew. 
Relying  then  on  his  herculean  power,  he  sought  on  more  than 
one  occasion  to  provoke  a  personal  conflict,  but  Manuelo  knew 
his  despotic  purpose  too  well  to  accede  hastily  to  his  wishes. 
It  was  with  much  difficulty  sometimes,  however,  that  Manuelo 
could  rest-rain  himself  from  gratifying  his  rival  in  just  the  manner 
he  desired.  He  was,  in  fact,  so  strongly  incited  to  a  personal 
encounter  that  he  was  only  dissuaded  from  it  by  the  incessant 
prayers  and  tears  of  his  tender  bride,  who  was  at  times  fairly 
overcome  with  fear  lest  his  impetuous  nature,  which  she  well 


350   YEARS   AGO.  251 

understood,  should  lead  her  husband  into  a  rash  conflict  with 
his  royal  adversary.  His  anger  fairly  rendered  Manuelo  re 
gardless  of  consequences,  so  far  as  himself  was  concerned,  but 
from  his  better  judgment  warning  came  that  in  case  of  disaster 
the  result  would  be  fearful,  indeed,  to  her  whom  he  loved,  and 
the  conflict  in  his  mind  between  the  two  passions  of  affection 
and  revenge  was  something  terrific. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  life  of  Alola  was  so  entirely  wrapped 
up  in  his  own  that  were  he  to  be  slain  she  would  at  once  have 
committed  suicide.  This  Manuelo  was  given  plainly  to  under 
stand,  and  it  had  a  controlling  influence  upon  his  conduct 
under  these  most  trying  circumstances. 

Thus  deterred,  not  by  his  own  fears,  but  by  the  fears  and 
importunities  of  another,  he  was  constrained  to  listen  to  ad 
vice,  which  he  knew  was  more  to  be  relied  upon  than  would 
have  been  that  of  a  person  not  in  sympathy  with  him. 

In  this  he  was  more  fortunate  than  most  men  similarly  situ 
ated,  for  counsel  in  such  cases  usually  comes  from  persons 
who  would  see  another's  honor  vindicated  at  the  cost  of  his 
life,  and  who  scruple  not  thus  in  their  zeal  to  heap  injury  upon 
insult.  Manuelo  believed,  as  he  said  to  Justino,  that  he  could 
have  compassed  the  death  of  his  adversary  in  a  quiet  manner, 
since  others  were  ready  to  aid  him,  but  he  disdained  a  resort 
to  so  unmanly  a  method  of  relieving  himself  from  annoyance, 
and  it  made  no  difference  in  his  determination  that  he  could 
not  count  upon  equal  magnanimity  on  the  part  of  his  rival. 

Both  himself  and  Alola  were  in  perpetual  fear  lest  some 
undue  advantage  should  be  taken  of  him  by  the  king,  for  they 
knew  full  well  his  treacherous  and  blood-thirsty  nature,  and 
there  was  abundant  reason  to  apprehend  an  exhibition  of  it  at 
any  unguarded  moment. 

Manuelo  remembered  "some  examples  in  history  of  similar 
arrogance  on  the  part  of  great  men,  which  he  ventured  to 
relate  to  his  wife,  and  notably  that  of  the  renowned  Henry 


252  CALIFORNIA 

VIII.,  king  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  who  still  at  that  time 
may  have  been  upon  the  throne,  and  enjoying  the  society  of 
a  wife  of  one  of  his  murdered  subjects.  By  much  contem 
plation  of  these  matters  the  peace  of  mind  of  Manuelo,  as 
well  as  that  of  Alola,  was  eventually  wholly  destroyed.  They 
were  fast  becoming  convinced  that  affairs  were  approaching 
a  crisis  when  delay  would  be  entirely  incompatible  with  safety. 
They  wisely  concluded  that  something  must  be  done,  and  that 
speedily,  or  worse  would  follow.  Manuelo  himself  was  too 
good  a  general  to  be  caught  napping,  and  a  better  subaltern 
adviser  no  commander  ever  had  than  the  bright-eyed  and 
keen-wilted  Alola. 

During  all  the  time  we  have  been  speaking  about,  Manuelo 
was  diligently  drilling  his  compact  little  army,  with  the  osten 
sible  purpose  of  undertaking  another  foreign  war,  and  it  was 
observed  that,  on  several  occasions,  jealousy  cropped  out  on 
the  part  of  the  king  in  reference  to  the  chief  command  on 
future  expeditions.  This  feeling  Manuelo  was  at  no  pains  to 
quiet;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  rather  encouraged  by  him.  He 
even  sought  an  occasion  for  an  open  entente,  which  was  not 
long  in  coming. 

The  national  forces,  well  armed  and  equipped,  were  pur 
posely  led  out  on  the  plain  one  autumn  day  by  the  doughty 
Manuelo,  when  the  arrogant  Mosoto,  presuming  upon  his 
civil  rank,  sought  to  take  charge  of  them,  and  to  give  forth  his 
commands.  This  movement  of  the  king  was  promptly  resisted 
by  Manuelo,  and  a  difficulty  at  once  arose  on  the  field.  Mosoto, 
incited  by  a  terrible  rage,  advanced  with  some  haste  upon 
Manuelo,  and  would  have  stricken  him  down  on  the  spot,  or 
at  least  made  the  attempt,  had  not  Manuelo,  observing  his 
actions,  with  great  presence  of  mind  appealed  to  his  faithful 
soldiers  for  protection,  who  sprang  to  his  rescue  like  so  many 
lions,  and  the  king  was  by  force  resisted. 

A  counter  appeal  was  then  made  to  the  men  by  the  angry 


350  YEARS   AGO.  253 

Mosoto,  but  all  in  vain.  Manuelo,  with  military  promptness, 
now  rallied  the  army  in  a  short  speech,  and  almost  to  a  man 
they  sided  with  him.  Inspired  by  the  personal  courage  of  a 
general  who  had  led  them  to  victory  against  the  formidable 
Dagos,  they  no  longer  feared  their  king,  powerful  in  person 
though  he  was,  but  would  then  and  there,  in  large  numbers, 
have  set  upon  him  with  their  ready  weapons,  and  put  an  end 
to  his  miserable  existence,  had  they  been  permitted  to  do  so. 
But  the  generous  Manuelo  restrained  them  by  his  words,  and 
kept  their  impetuosity  in  abeyance  until  their  indignation  had 
time  to  subside,  for  he  was  now  no  longer  in  fear  of  his  rival, 
and  did  not  wish  to  subject  himself  to  the  ungracious  charge 
of  regicide. 

The  stalwart  king,  or  rather  Mosoto,  for  he  was  from  that 
hour  no  longer  king,  seeing  himself  deserted  by  his  soldiers, 
and  alone,  turned  upon  his  heel  and  fled  towards  the  mount 
ains,  He  was  brave  by  nature,  none  more  so,  but  conscience 
had  made  a  coward  of  him,  and  he  took  himself  away  as  fast 
as  his  legs  would  carry  him.  Pursued  by  the  jeers  and  de 
rision  of  his  late  subjects,  he  relaxed  not  his  pace  until  his 
giant  figure  was  reduced  by  distance  to  the  dimensions  of  a 
mere  pigmy. 

The  triumph  of  Manuelo  was  most  marked,  and  in  about 
half  the  time  it  takes  to  relate  the  circumstance,  he  was  pro 
claimed  king  by  the  shouts  of  his  gallant  little  army.  Thereto 
fore  it  had  been  his  custom  to  march  his  men,  but  this  time 
they  marched  him  back  into  the  city,  and  it  would  have  puzzled 
any  mere  spectator  to  say  whether  the  victory  that  had  been 
achieved  belonged  the  more  to  Manuelo  or  to  his  followers. 
The  truth  may  be,  and  probably  was,  that  it  pertained  to  both, 
and  in  just  about  equal  proportions  to  each.  The  one  was 
rid  of  a  rival,  and  the  others  of  a  tyrant,  and  their  congratu 
lations  were  mutual. 

The  news  of  the  elevation  of  Manuelo  spread  with  wonderful 


254  CALIFORNIA 

rapidity  throughout  all  the  country  of  the  Anglos,  and  so  happy 
were  the  people  to  be  rid  of  the  despotic  Mosoto  that  a  great 
feast  was  proclaimed  and  presently  inaugurated  in  honor  of 
the  event.  In  a  week's  time  nearly  all  the  residents  of  the 
several  tribes  and  villages  of  the  nation  were  gathered  in  at 
the  capital  to  give  expression  to  their  joy.  Such  a  man  as 
Manuelo  before  him  had  never  been  seen  in  that  country,  and 
one  and  all  looked  upon  him  as  a  being  sent  from  Heaven  to 
rule  over  them.  Lacking  positive  information  on  the  point, 
Justino  was  half  inclined  to  the  belief  that  the  proud  Manuelo 
made  no  effort  whatever  to  dispel  that  delusion,  and  that  he 
continued  to  reign,  in  the  opinion  of  his  subjects,  by  right 
divine. 

Never  was  monarch  more  popular  with  his  people,  and  never 
was  one  more  deservedly  so.  But  what  shall  we  say  of  Alola? 
Here  we  are  compelled  again  to  abandon  the  subject  to  the 
imagination  of  the  reader,  for  language  is  wholly  inadequate 
to  depict  her  happiness.  Her  affection  for  Manuelo  had  been 
fully  vindicated.  A  poor  fugitive  from  her  home  and  native 
country,  and  a  renegade  from  her  distinguished  relatives,  she 
had  been  transformed  by  the  prowess  of  her  chosen  lord  into 
the  most  prominent  person  in  the  land. 

Queen  was  she  now  of  the  Anglos,  a  people  at  that  day 
given  to  all  manner  of  kindness,  and  possessing  a  country  un 
exampled  in  beauty.  It  is  a  mild  expression  to  say  that  she 
was  fairly  worshiped  by  all  the  vast  assemblage  at  that  great 
feast.  Woman-like,  her  first  impulse  was  to  make  known  her 
good  fortune  to  those  from  whom  she  had  fled,  but  that  was 
not  practicable  just  then ;  however,  the  fact  became  known  to 
them,  without  her  agency,  all  too  soon  for  her  happiness,  as 
will  be  seen  further  along  in  this  history. 

Alola  contented  herself  for  the  present  by  redoubling  her 
demonstrations  of  love  towards  Manuelo,  who  as  cordially 
reciprocated  the  same.  He  did  not  forget  that  he  owed  his 


350  YEARS  AGO.  255 

elevation  indirectly  to  the  fascinations  of  his  charming  wife, 
and  the  greatest  pleasure  he  found  was  in  her  adoration. 

LXXI. 
MANUELO  AS  KING. 

IT  seems  very  remarkable  that  so  observing  a  person  as 
Manuelo,  who  was  now  fairly  installed  as  king  of  the  Anglos, 
and  who  had  been  successful  in  wars,  at  least  with  the  Dagos, 
and  who  doubtless  was  equally  so  in  other  respects,  should  have 
failed  to  give  an  extended  insight  into  his  civil  administration, 
or  even  to  describe  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  his  public 
policy.  Yet  such  is  the  fact.  He  neglected  to  do  it,  unless, 
indeed,  the  fault  be  Justino's,  for  the  manuscript  contained 
almost  no  account  of  his  management  of  the  affairs  of  state, 
so  to  speak,  while  presiding  over  the  destinies  of  that  splen 
did  people.  It  is  barely  possible  there  may  have  been  design 
in  all  this,  and  that  the  course  pursued  by  them  was  the  sub 
ject  of  deliberation.  It  is  not  altogether  unlikely  that  both 
Manuelo  and  Justino  realized  that  it  was  the  uniform  practice 
of  historians,  both  ancient  and  modern,  to  speak  only  of  wars, 
contentions,  conquests,  and  the  like,  and  to  leave  civil  govern 
ment  and  the  piping  times  of  peace  to  take  care  of  themselves, 
or  to  be  taken  care  of  by  the  writers  of  fiction  alone. 

If  such  be  the  solution  of  this  apparent  negligence,  they  cer 
tainly  had  the  example  before  them  of  the  great  Julius  himself, 
who,  while  both  actor  and  narrator  of  the  stirring  events  of  .his 
time,  confined  his  history  to  wars  and  conquests,  to  the  neglect 
of  his  civil  administration,  which  some  might  contend  was  no 
less  glorious.  Peace,  it  has  been  said,  hath  its  triumphs  no 
less  renowned  than  war;  but  if  such  belonged  to  the  peaceful 
portion  of  Manuelo's  government,  they  are  now  irretrievably  lost 
to  the  world.  We  may  nevertheless  congratulate  ourselves  that 
all  is  not  lost.  Much  pertaining  to  that  distinguished  character 


256  CALIFORNIA 

and  his  remarkable  people  we  certainly  have  left  us.  Thanks 
to  the  far-seeing  young  priests  of  Evora,  some  of  the  salient 
points  of  King  Manuelo's  rule  have  been  preserved — rescued 
as  it  were  from  the  lethean  shades — and  among  these  is  con 
siderable  that  related  to  his  foreign  troubles,  which,  as  the  world 
goes,  are  after  all  the  most  interesting.  About  these,  there 
fore,  we  proceed  to  speak,  but  in  the  modest  terms  transmitted 
through  this  Portuguese  channel. 

The  festivities  consequent  upon  the  enthronement  of  the 
white  man  and  his  interesting  bride  lasted  several  days,  and 
until  the  hilarious  Anglos  were  fairly  exhausted  with  merry 
making.  Feasting  and  dancing  and  all  sorts  of  games  were 
indulged  in  to  excess,  and  the  newly-endowed  royal  personages 
were  heartily  glad,  at  last,  to  see  an  end  of  the  dissipation. 
Attention  was  now  to  be  turned  to  more  serious  matters.  The 
public  business  must  be  looked  after  with  care.  The  new  chief 
felt  the  full  responsibility  of  his  exalted  position,  and  he  was 
not  the  man  to  be  found  derelict  in  duty.  Gratitude  was  one 
of  the  liveliest  sentiments  of  his  nature,  and  he  resolved  from 
the  first  to  render,  in  his  public  acts,  a  full  equivalent  to  this 
generous  people  for  their  kindness  to  himself  and  Alola. 

In  that  country  then,  as  later,  there  was  almost  perpetual 
summer,  and  not  much  necessity  therefore  existed  for  that  prov 
idence  which  has  to  be  exercised  in  more  rigorous  climates, 
but  Manuelo,  nevertheless,  required  his  people  to  keep  always 
on  hand  an  ample  supply  of  wholesome  food,  as  they  might 
need;  and,  likewise,  an  abundant  store  of  peltry  for  clothing. 
To  accomplish  these  desirable  ends  the  necessity  was  involved 
of  frequent  hunting  and  fishing  excursions  by  the  people. 

Distant  expeditions,  also,  to  the  mountains  and  hills  in  quest 
of  wild  fruits,  berries,  and  nuts  of  various  kinds,  in  their  season, 
were  frequently  set  on  foot.  In  this  way  the  people  were 
always  prepared  against  a  possible  drought,  and  there  was  never 
the  least  fear  of  a  famine  among  them.  In  case  of  a  war,  in 


350  YEARS  AGO.  257 

like  manner,  they  would  be  ready  to  march  on  short  notice, 
and  be  able  to  avoid  the  accustomed  delay  on  occasions  of  the 
kind. 

Everything  that  Manuelo  needed  for  his  own  convenience, 
or  that  of  his  household,  was  gratuitously  supplied  in  large 
quantity  by  his  devoted  subjects,  and  his  principal  occupation, 
when  engaged  at  all,  related  to  foreign  affairs.  There  was  no 
longer,  on  his  part,  nor  on  the  part  of  his  people.,  any  fear  of 
the  troublesome  Dagos,  for  they  had  been  thoroughly  quelled 
in  the  last  campaign.  But  off  to  the  eastward  a  nation  existed, 
more  distant  by  far  than  the  Dagos.  Though  not  particularly 
hostile,  these  people  were  in  the  constant  habit,  and  had  been 
for  years,  of  encroaching  upon  the  dominions  of  the  good  An 
glos,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  and  foraging.  A  sort  of  preda 
tory  tribe  they  were,  from  a  wide  desert  country  that  lay  in  the 
direction  mentioned,  no  one  knew  exactly  how  far  away.  From 
the  description  given  of  these  people  they  must  have  partaken 
largely  of  the  nature  of  Arabs;  but  they  were  called  the  Movos. 
Little  could  be  learned  concerning  them  from  captives,  since 
their  language  differed  radically  from  that  of  the  Anglos  and 
the  other  nations  to  the  north.  Besides,  they  appeared  to  be, 
on  the  whole,  a  sullen,  silent  set  of  scamps,  and  disdained 
when  interrogated,  as  prisoners  were,  to  enlighten  Manuelo  as 
to  their  strength,  or  as  to  the  extent  of  their  territory. 

LXXII. 

AGAINST    THE    MOVOS. 

AFTER  suffering  no  inconsiderable  annoyance  from  these 
inhabitants  of  the  desert,  as  they  were  supposed  to  be,  Manuelo 
determined  at  last  to  chastise  them,  in  a  military  sense,  and,  pos 
sibly,  to  subjugate  them  to  his  rule.  His  well-disciplined  army 
of  veterans  had  long  been  unemployed  and  naturally  thirsted 
for  conquest,  so  that  when  an  expedition  against  these  Arabs 
17 


258  CALIFORNIA 

of  the  desert,  as  they  might  be  termed,  was  first  suggested  to 
the  soldiers  it  was  met  with  a  ready  response,  and  preparations 
for  war  were  made  after  the  manner  of  those  times,  but  without 
the  accustomed  delay.  At  Manuelo's  suggestion  Alola  was  to 
be  left  in  possession  of  the  government  at  home  during  his 
absence,  an  arrangement  that  was  quite  as  satisfactory  to  the 
people  as  to  herself. 

Not  calculating  on  a  lengthy  campaign,  or  one  of  much  diffi 
culty,  little  ceremony  was  observed  on  the  setting  out  of  the 
army,  but  they  were  admirably  equipped  and  provided,  and 
were  all  in  most  excellent  spirits.  The  forces  thus  ready,  in 
every  respect,  and  numbering  some  eight  hundred  effective  men, 
their  commander-in-chief,  the  gallant  Manuelo,  one  clear  morn 
ing  in  early  summer,  while  the  larks  were  yet  singing,  led  them 
forth  from  the  city  and  proudly  took  up  his  line  of  march 
towards  the  country  of  the  predatory  Movos. 

The  march  was  uninterrupted  and  eventless,  so  far  as  re 
ported,  until  they  came  upon  the  broad  desert,  but  there  Man 
uelo  unexpectedly  encountered,  in  the  barren  waste  itself,  a 
more  formidable  adversary  than  any  number  of  fighting  men 
could  have  been,  but  he  was  by  no  means  discouraged,  nor  did 
he  suffer  his  men  to  become  so. 

The  tiresome  tramp,  through  sand  and  dust,  sand  under  foot 
and  dust  in  the  air,  was  continued  for  weeks  without  finding 
any  other  enemy  than  the  parched  waste,  and  until  their  stock 
of  provisions  began  to  run  low.  The  general-in-chief  realized 
to  the  fullest  extent  the  necessity  of  finding  an  enemy  upon 
whom  to  forage  for  supplies,  and  he  courageously  kept  on  his 
course.  About  this  time,  and  when  almost  in  despair,  the  little 
army,  begrimed  with  dust,  foot-sore,  and  hungry,  came  up  to  a 
large  river,  along  the  borders  of  which  many  villages  were  ob 
served  to  be  strewn,  and  the  evidences  were  abundant  of  a  large 
population.  These  villages  had  been  recently  deserted,  and 
not  a  human  being  was  to  be  seen  moving  in  any  one  of  them. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  259 

But  upon  the  opposite  bank  of  the  stream  numerous  warriors, 
decked  in  bright  martial  paint  and  with  waving  plumes,  were 
assembled,  prepared,  as  it  appeared,  to  dispute  the  passage. 
These  things  were  viewed  from  the  bluffs  a  little  way  back 
from  the  river  by  Manuelo,  with  mingled  feelings  of  satisfac 
tion  and  consternation — satisfaction  at  seeing  a  prospect  of 
appeasing  the  hunger  of  his  brave  men,  and  consternation  at 
beholding  the  evidences  of  a  probable  controversy  over  the 
gratification  of  their  appetites.  His  forces,  all  told,  had  been 
no  more  than  eight  hundred  men  at  the  start,  but  the  number 
of  efficient  soldiers  was  now  considerably  reduced  by  the  long 
march  through  a  barren  country,  and  even  those  who  were 
still  able  to  keep  their  places  in  the  ranks  were  greatly  dimin 
ished  in  strength  and  efficiency  by  continued  hunger  and  thirst. 
The  warriors  of  Scipio,  after  a  long  forced  march  over  the  hot 
sands  of  Africa,  were  in  a  better  condition  than  Manuelo's  at 
this  moment,  and  the  Carthagenians  were  much  more  accessi 
ble  to  the  Romans  than  were  the  Movos  to  the  Anglos. 

Without  delay,  and  impelled  by  their  necessities,  the  latter 
eagerly  rushed  down  into  the  vacated  villages  on  the  hither  side 
of  the  stream,  hoping  to  find  wherewithal  to  satisfy  their  ap 
petites;  but  the  cunning  Movos  had  taken  the  precaution,  on  the 
approach  of  the  invader,  to  destroy,  or  remove  to  the  opposite 
shore,  everything  that  could  in  the  least  supply  their  wants,  and 
the  disappointment  of  Manuelo  and  his  men  can  better  be 
imagined  than  described.  They  were  in  such  a  dilemma  as 
had  never  beset  them  before.  The  enemy  ,on  the  further  bank 
outnumbered  them  apparently  by  thousands,  but  this  disparity 
in  numbers  perplexed  them  less  than  how  they  should  cross 
the  wide  and  rapidly  flowing  river.  There  was  some  wasting 
of  arrows  on  both  sides,  for  firing  across  was  at  too  long  a 
range  to  be  effectual,  and  Manuelo,  in  his  strait,  essayed  nego 
tiations,  but  in  vain.  His  men  had  already  given  too  many 
demonstrations  of  a  hostile  purpose  to  deceive  the  wary  Movos, 


260  CALIFORNIA 

who  felt  secure  in  the  advantage  of  their  position,  and  kept 
close  watch  over  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  It  was  pres 
ently  seen  by  the  sagacious  Manuelo  that  he  must  somehow  or 
other  make  the  passage  of  the  stream,  otherwise  many  of  his 
noble  warriors  would  miserably  perish,  and  long  before  they 
could  retrace  their  weary  steps  across  the  wide  desert.  He 
therefore  determined  to  attempt  the  transit  at  all  hazards.  He 
felt  most  unbounded  confidence  in  the  new  and  superior 
armament  of  his  men,  and  still  more  in  their  bravery  and  skill. 

Hungry  and  exhausted  as  they  were,  he  believed  they  could 
hold  their  own  and  make  headway,  too,  against  any  number  of 
the  timorous  foe,  could  they  but  once  set  foot  on  the  opposite 
shore.  Casting  about  in  this  emergency,  he  observed  in  the 
village  already  in  his  possession,  and  scattered  along  the  river 
bottom,  above  and  below,  an  abundance  of  timber  of  the  cot 
ton-wood  species,  and  he  determined,  as  soon  as  the  night 
should  shut  down  its  curtain,  to  construct  as  many  rafts  as  the 
time 'would  allow,  and  on  these  to  cross  the  river,  if  possible, 
before  the  break  of  day.  This  plan  was  made  known  to  his 
men,  but  all  signs  of  the  contemplated  movement  were  care 
fully  concealed  from  the  overconfident  enemy.  Accordingly, 
when  darkness  had  completely  covered  the  earth,  and  the 
Movos,  as  was  supposed,  had  retired  to  rest  for  the  night,  the 
little  army  of  heroes,  as  one  man,  silently  and  cautiously,  and 
for  the  time  forgetting  their  hunger  and  hardships,  set  about 
the  construction  of  rafts,  working  in  squads  of  fives  and  sixes 
upon  each  craft. 

Some  time  before  the  dawn  of  day,  all  being  in  readiness,  at 
a  given  signal  the  rafts  were  pushed  into  the  rapidly  moving 
current,  and,  loaded  with  men,  were  hopefully  pulled  in  line  for 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  A  landing  was  effected  on  the 
other  side  some  distance  below  the  principal  camp  of  the 
Movos,  but  not  without  annoyance,  for  the  alarm  was  given 
while  they  were  yet  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  the  enemy, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  261 

in  vast  numbers,  came  rushing  down  to  repel  the  advance. 
But  the  place  of  landing  had  been  well  chosen,  and  Manuelo 
and  his  men,  protected  by  their  shields,  sprang  ashore  and 
stood  their  ground  with  heroic  firmness. 

The  battle  on  the  strand  was  waged  with  terrible  fury,  until 
the  morning  light  showing  the  way,  an  advance  was  ordered  by 
the  general,  and  the  vast  forces  of  the  Movos  were  put  to  rout 
with  great  slaughter.  The  desperate  Anglos  followed  up  their 
victory  with  rapid  steps,  and  soon  had  possession  of  the  enemy's 
camp,  with  all  his  stores. 

The  casualties  of  this  hard-fought  field  on  either  side  are 
not  given,  but  they  were  infinitely  greater  on  the  part  of  the 
Movos  than  on  the  Anglos'  side,  not  to  mention  the  loss  sus 
tained  by  the  former  of  their  villages  and  all  their  supplies. 
The  Movos  had  not  calculated  upon  the  passage  of  the  river 
as  among  the  things  possible,  and  had  taken  no  pains  to  re 
move  their  stores  and  munitions  of  war  back  from  the  water's 
edge.  Even  their  women  and  children  were  left  reposing  in 
conscious  security  on  that  side,  but  the  good  Manuelo,  antici 
pating  all  this,  had  given  the  strictest  command  to  his  soldiers 
not  to  visit  revenge  upon  these  helpless  classes,  but  to  turn 
their  weapons  against  the  men  alone. 

Most  of  the  cowardly  and  predatory  warriors  of  the  Movos, 
when  they  found  themselves  beaten,  fled  precipitately  to  the 
hills,  for  they  could  make  no  stand  against  their  better  armed, 
more  stalwart,  and  more  skillfully  commanded  antagonists. 

Manuelo  without  unnecessary  delay  brought  over,  in  the 
boats  of  the  enemy,  which  he  found  moored  in  numbers  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  river,  his  hungry  reserves  and  likewise  the 
enfeebled,  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  his  own  camp. 

Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  Movos  to  escape,  many 
prisoners  were  taken  with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  these  were 
put  to  work  at  once  in  burying  the  dead  and  caring  for  the 
wounded.  Owing  to  their'  reduced  and  weakened  condition. 


262  CALIFORNIA 

no  less  than  to  the  desperation  of  the  Movos,  who  were  con 
tending  for  their  homes  and  firesides,  quite  a  number  of  the 
brave  invaders  were  made  to  bite  the  dust.* 

Keeping  possession  of  their  principal  villages,  and  retaining 
in  his  custody  many  of  their  women  and  children  as  hostages, 
for  greater  security  against  a  secret  attack  of  these  barbarians, 
Manuelo  recruited  his  attenuated  forces  as  rapidly  as  he  possi 
bly  could,  preparatory  to  a  return  to  his  own  country.  The 
campaign  had  been  much  more  difficult  and  disastrous  than 
had  been  anticipated  by  anyone,  and  it  adds  another  to  the 
many  warnings  to  ambitious  monarchs,  to  undertake  no  war 
without  adequate  provocation,  nor  to  pursue  a  people  for  the 
mere  purpose  of  gratifying  a  thirst  for  conquest.  The  best 
disciplined  of  armies,  under  the  most  skillful  of  leaders,  is 
liable  to  fall  into  dangers,  particularly  when  it  has  to  contend 
against  the  forces  of  nature,  which,  when  arrayed  against  man, 
are  a  more  unrelenting  enemy  than  his  fellow-creatures  can  pos 
sibly  be.  Deserts,  forests,  rivers,  and  storms  have  before  now 
broken  the  spirit  of  the  proudest  military  organizations,  and 
subdued  generals  whose  genius  rendered  them  invincible  to 
arms.  It  so  happens  in  human  affairs  that  a  sense  of  justice, 
which  nature  herself  is  very  apt  to  display,  often  comes  to  the 
aid  of  the  weak  against  the  strong,  and  overwhelms  the  arro 
gant  oppressor.  Mankind  is  thus  admonished,  and  on  most 
unexpected  occasions,  says  Justino,  to  avoid  the  perpetration  of 
wrong,  for  it  was  the  firm  belief  of  that  good  friar  that  any 
injustice,  by  whomsoever  committed,  will  be  visited,  sooner  or 
later,  with  merited  punishment;  if  not  in  this  world,  certainly 
in  the  next. 


*Precisely  what  is  meant  by  this  expression  so  often  used  by  other 
historians,  or  how  it  arose,  we  are  unable  to  say;  but  as  it  appears  in  the 
narrative,  so  we  are  constrained  to  give  it  in  the  translation.  But  as  for 
Manuelo's  men,  they  had  been  eating  nothing  but  dust  for  days  past. 


350  YEARS   AGO.  263 

LXXIII. 

RETURNING  HOME. 

BUT  the  disaster  to  Manuelo  and  his  gallant  little  army  on 
this  occasion  was  not  so  very  great  but  that  in  a  few  days  they 
were  sufficiently  recruited  to  set  out  on  their  homeward  march, 
and  it  was  resolved  by  the  commander,  for  reasons  that  need 
not  be  explained,  to  return  by  some  other  route  than  the  one 
by  which  they  had  come.  Taking  in  an  ample  supply  of  pro 
visions  and  carrying  along  with  him  a  few  men  and  women, 
still  as  hostages,  Manuelo  dropped  down  the  river  with  his  com 
mand,  some  in  boats,  but  most  marching  by  land  near  the 
water,  intending  to  make  a  more  southerly  and  circuitous 
route  back  to  his  home.  But  the  treacherous  Movos  getting 
wind  of  his  intentions,  posted  themselves  in  secure  places  on 
the  bluffs  along  the  line  of  his  march,  and  harassed  his  men 
with  their  arrows  and  javelins  almost  every  step  of  the  way. 
As  the  Anglos  advanced,  the  number  of  the  enemy  increased 
every  day,  for  the  Movos  had  sent  information  of  the  invasion 
to  the  Macops,  the  Umos,  and  other  friendly  tribes  further 
down  the  river,  and  they  too  were  gathering  in  front  in  over 
whelming  numbers  to  intercept  Manuelo  and  cut  off  his  retreat. 
Seeing  this  danger,  the  wily  leader  of  the  Anglos,  on  the  fourth 
or  fifth  day,  crossed  over  all  his  forces  to  the  right  bank, 
abandoned  his  boats,  and  struck  off  to  the  westward.  The 
route  now  lay  just  to  the  south,  but  near  the  margin  of  a  salt 
lake  many  leagues  in  extent,  but  which  recent  geographers 
have  been  utterly  unable  to  find.  That  it  must  have  existed  at 
that  time  there  can  be  no  doubt,  else  how  can  its  mention 
be  accounted  for  1  Barring  so  much  of  the  route  as  lay  by 
this  lake,  and  after  abandoning  the  same,  their  course  was  over  a 
desert  country,  even  more  repellant,  if  possible,  trian  that  which 
had  been  traversed  on  their  outward  march.  Still  the  enemy, 
now  recruited  to  an  immense  force,  hung  upon  their  flanks  and 


264  CALIFORNIA 

rear  like  a  swarm  of  enraged  bees  fresh  from  a  disturbed  hive. 
Being  of  a  predatory  nature,  they  were  more  at  home  on  the 
desert,  and  annoyed  the  Anglos  in  every  possible  way,  but 
could  not  be  brought  by  any  device  to  give  battle.  This 
uncomfortable  worry  was  kept  up  with  unabated  zeal  by  the 
combined  foe,  giving  the  retreating  army  no  rest  night  or  day, 
until  at  last,  happily,  a  range  of  mountains  was  reached,  where, 
selecting  a  secure  locality  and  fortifying  their  camp,  Manuelo 
and  his  men  rested  in  comparative  quiet  for  three  days.  But 
the  Movos  prisoners,  in  the  long  and  hurried  retreat,  had  all 
made  their  escape,  and  the  Anglos,  thus  deprived  of  their  only 
trophies,  and  less  accustomed  to  being  pursued  than  to  pursu 
ing,  were  somewhat  crest-fallen  if  not  dispirited.  They  had 
been  delighted,  however,  to  see  the  enemy  diminishing  in  num 
bers,  day  by  day,  as  they  receded  from  their  homes,  and  when 
the  mountains  were  finally  reached,  the  pursuers  presented 
more  the  appearance  of  straggling  parties  than  of  a  well -organ 
ized  army. 

It  was  evident  that  the  strength  of  the  Movos,  and  of  their 
allies,  was  not  in  their  personal  prowess  at  all,  but  in  the  barren 
and  desolate  character  of  the  country  they  occupied,  and  their 
method  of  warfare  was  to  annoy  and  harass  an  enemy  by 
raids  and  dashes  and  by  night  attacks.  They  were  no  match 
for  the  well-armed  and  thoroughly  disciplined  troops  of  Man 
uelo,  in  an  open  and  manly  warfare,  and,  fortunately  for  them 
selves,  they  were  too  shrewd  to  risk  a  battle  with  him. 

But  a  new  and  unexpected  danger  now  confronted  the 
Anglos.  They  were  again  in  the  country  of  their  ancient 
enemy,  the  Dagos.  These  mountains,  or  rather  the  desert 
that  lay  at  the  foot  of  them,  constituted  the  eastern  boundary 
of  the  Dagos  territory,  and  the  little  army  of  the  Anglos  was 
liable  to  encounter  their  opposition  at  any  moment.  Manuelo 
half  suspected  that  the  wide-awake  Dago  chiefs,  having  seen 
the  immense  advantage  of  the  new  and  superior  armament  of 


350  YEARS  AGO.  265 

the  Anglos,  would  fall  to  imitating"  the  same  and  be  able  to 
meet  him  on  another  occasion  on  more  equal  terms.  He  was 
therefore  exceedingly  anxious  to  avoid  a  collision  with  them  at 
this  time,  and  at  all  events  until  his  men  could  recover  from 
their  late  disasters.  Accordingly  he  wasted  no  time  in  leading 
his  army  through  the  passes  of  the  mountains  in  a  north 
westerly  direction,  where,  as  best  he  could  calculate,  lay  their 
homes,  and  where  he  had  left  his  loved  and  loving  Alola,  whom 
he  had  long  been  most  anxious  to  see.  But  he  had  not  mis 
calculated  the  danger  of  the  situation.  Swift  runners  of  the 
Movos,  or  of  their  nearer  neighbors,  the  Umos,  had  borne 
intelligence  of  his  movements  to  the  sleepless  Dago  king,  and 
he,  hastily  gathering  an  army  of  his  faithful  subjects,  was  mov 
ing  with  alacrity  to  intercept  Manuelo's  retreat.  The  last 
camp  of  the  Anglos  before  emerging  from  the  territory  of  the 
Dagos,  was  pitched  at  night  in  a  narrow  valley  near  some  warm 
springs,  shut  in  by  high  and  impassable  mountains  on  either 
side.  Here  they  rested  in  security,  as  they  supposed,  and 
were  apparently  in  a  fair  way  of  reaching  their  homes  within 
the  next  three  or  four  days.  But  alas  for  the  foresight  of 
man  !  How  little  did  they  know  what  was  before  them  ! 
Awaking  right  early  on  the  following  morning  they  were  more 
than  surprised — they  were  horrified — to  behold  in  their  front, 
ready  to  dispute  their  further  passage,  a  large  army  of  the 
dreaded  Dagos,  evidently  much  better  prepared  for  a  fight 
than  they  ever  had  been  before.  Retreat  was  not  practicable 
for  the  Anglos,  in  fact  they  were  retreating  from  the  Movos  and 
their  allies  at  this  very  time,  and,  besides,  they  were  too  anx 
ious  to  reach  their  homes  to  think  of  turning  back.  Manuelo 
took  the  situation  in  at  a  glance  and  determined  upon  his 
course.  In  a  stirring  speech  he  rallied  his  men  with  the  hope 
of  soon  seeing  their  homes  and  again  greeting  their  wives  and 
children,  and  then,  drawing  them  up  in  order  of  battle,  pre 
pared  for  the  desperate  charge.  Before  the  forward  movement 


266  CALIFORNIA 

was  ordered,  he  reminded  them  of  their  previous  triumphs 
over  this  same  treacherous  foe,  and  assured  them  that  they  had 
only  to  stand  firmly  by  each  other,  and  preserve  their  ranks 
unbroken,  to  achieve  a  victory,  no  less  glorious  than  the  former 
one,  over  that  same  hated  race.  So  forcible  and  eloquent  was 
his  appeal  that  the  men  even  rejoiced  that  they  had  once  again 
an  enemy  before  them  whom  they  could  meet  face  to  face, 
the  only  opportunity,  in  fact,  of  the  kind  they  had  enjoyed  in 
the  whole  campaign,  unless  we  except  the  fight  in  the  night  on 
the  strand.  Manuelo's  forces  being  now  inspired  with  unwonted 
courage,  he  watched,  with  eagle  eye,  the  arrival  of  a  favorable 
opportunity,  and  then,  with  one  tremendous  whoop,  in  which  all 
the  army  joined,  he  ordered  a  charge.  The  Dagos,  relying 
too  much  upon  their  greatly  superior  numbers,  and  being  less 
skillfully  commanded  than  their  adversaries,  were  taken  a  little 
at  unawares  by  the  impetuosity  of  the  attack,  but  they  were 
most  surprised  by  the  unexampled  daring  of  so  small  a  force. 
Manuelo  and  his  intrepid  warriors,  in  solid  phalanx  and  with 
long-continued  yells,  pressed  forward  like  a  band  of  heroes,  as 
they  were,  and  presently  struck  the  center  of  the  enemy's  line 
with  consternation.  Seeing  the  middle  and  strongest  part  give 
back,  each  wing  of  the  Dagos  forces,  in  succession,  yielded  like 
wise,  and  a  rout  ensued.  The  affair  may  be  compared  to  a  band 
of  wolves  attacking  a  large  herd  of  sheep  and  scattering  them 
helpless  in  every  direction,  filling  even  tneir  shepherd  with 
dismay.  No  victory  was  ever  more  complete  or  gallantly  won. 
The  celebrated  charge  of  the  Hebrews  upon  the  Philistines 
could  not  have  excelled  it  in  bravery.  It  was  the  crowning 
event  of  the  whole  campaign,  which  would  have  been  none  too 
brilliant  without  it,  but  which  now  shone  with  transcendent 
luster.  If  the  general  of  the  Anglos  had  lost,  in  any  degree, 
his  standing  with  his  troops  by  reason  of  what  had  transpired 
of  a  disagreeable  nature,  since  they  left  their  homes,  it  was  now 
entirely  recovered.  He  was  never  so  much  of  a  hero  as  at 


350  YEARS    AGO  267 

this  time.  Again  was  he  worshiped  by  his  soldiers,  and  his 
praises  were  upon  every  tongue.  Not  waiting  for  further  lauda 
tions,  nor  wishing  to  enjoy  them  alone,  Manuelo  continued  his 
march  without  more  interruption,  and  on  the  fourth  day  after 
the  battle  of  the  Warm  Springs,  the  little  army,  weary  and  worn 
with  the  toils  of  war,  but  full  of  courage,  entered  the  city  of  the 
Anglos,  where  they  were  greeted  with  the  joyous  acclaims  of 
all  the  people. 

LXXIV. 

MOSOTO'S  WAR. 

THE  arrival  of  Manuelo  at  home  was  not  a  moment  too 
soon,  for  the  wicked  and  desperate  Mosoto,  when  driven  from 
his  own  country,  had  gone  to  the  North  among  the  Barbos,  and 
there,  by  the  most  foul  misrepresentations,  had  stirred  up  a 
feeling  against  his  former  subjects,  and  particularly  against  his 
successor.  Having  treacherously  won  his  wray  into  the  confi 
dence  of  that  people,  he  had  armed  and  disciplined  them  after 
the  exact  manner  taught  him  by  Manuelo,  and,  with  the  ap 
proval  of  all  the  Barbos  chiefs,  was  actually  leading  an  army  of 
that  nation  against  the  Anglos.  Information  of  this  movement 
had  reached  the  ears  of  Alola  while  in  possession  of  the  govern 
ment,  and  ruling  alone,  and  caused  her  the  greatest  imaginable 
distress  of  mind.  She  hoped  and  prayed  for  the  return  of  her 
long-absent  husband  in  time  to  avert,  if  possible,  the  impend 
ing  danger,  but  the  worst  results  were  feared.  Brave  woman 
that  she  was,  and  being  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  the  absence  of 
Manuelo,  she  set  about  with  the  utmost  diligence  the  business 
of  arming,  equipping,  and  disciplining  all  the  men,  young  and 
old,  yet  remaining  in  the  land;  and  when  Manuelo  returned  from 
his  Eastern  expedition  he  found  an  army,  a  sort  of  home  guard, 
already  well  organized,  and  much  stronger,  in  point  of  numbers, 
than  the  one  he  had  led  against  the  Movos.  With  this  force, 
so  fortunately  and  with  so  much  forethought  provided  in  his 


268  CALIFORNIA 

absence  by  the  fair  young  queen,  added  to  his  own  little  army 
of  veterans,  he  had  not  much  fear  of  the  meddlesome  Barbos, 
though  led  by  so  powerful  an  enemy  as  Mosoto  himself.  In 
fact  the  ex-king  was  most  to  be  dreaded  for  his  individual 
prowess,  and  it  was  on  account  of  that,  mainly,  that  he  had  won 
the  confidenqe  of  his  new  allies.  He  had,  moreover,  repre 
sented  to  them  Manuelp  in  the  worst  possible  light,  describing 
him  as  a  traitor,  an  ingrate,  usurper,  and  as  altogether  a  most 
dangerous  man.  He  concealed  from  them  the  fact  of  his  own 
unholy  passion  for  Alola,  but  assured  the  suspicious  Barbos 
that  Manuelo  and  his  wife  had  been  among  them  as  spies,  to  find 
out  their  weak  points,  intending  to  subjugate,  and,  if  need  be, 
to  annihilate  them;  that  Manuelo  was  planning  and  preparing  a 
military  expedition  against  their  country,  and  that  the  only  way 
to  head  him  off  was  to  carry  the  war  into  Africa,  so  to  speak. 
With  apparent  magnanimity  he  proffered  his  own  powerful  serv 
ices  to  crush  out  so  dangerous  a  neighbor,  and  the  simple 
Barbos  were  but  too  glad  to  accept  his  offer. 

Alola,  with  remarkable  sagacity,  had  kept  informed,  by  means 
of  scouts  and  heralds,  of  the  movements  of  her  dreaded  enemy, 
and  had  fully  made  up  her  mind,  though  nothing  but  a  tender 
woman,  to  take  personal  command  of  her  improvised  army, 
meet  Mosoto  in  some  mountain  pass,  and  hold  him  at  bay,  or 
possibly  drive  him  back.  She  well  understood  that  his  princi 
pal  object  was  to  gain  possession  of  her  person — a  thing  that 
she  more  abhorred  than  any  other  earthly  calamity  that  could 
happen. 

Much  time  had  elapsed  since  her  royal  husband  had  set  out 
on  his  campaign  against  the  people  of  the  desert,  and  not  hear 
ing  from  him,  she  greatly  feared  some  dire  calamity  might  have 
befallen  his  little  army,  himself  included,  and  she  firmly  resolved, 
in  her  own  mind,  to  repel  the  advance  of  her  tormentor,  or 
perish  in  the  attempt.  The  plans  of  the  brave  little  woman 
were  all  laid  with  care,  and  she  was  preparing  with  diligence  to 


350  YEARS  AGO.  269 

execute  them,  when  she  was  happily  interrupted  by  the  sudden 
appearance  at  the  capital  of  her  husband.  Justino,  the  con 
siderate  author,  almost  regretted,  he  said,  that  Manuelo  had 
not  remained  away  a  little  longer,  in  order  that  the  world  might 
have  had  one  more  instance  added  to  the  many  examples  of 
female  heroism  recorded  in  history.  The  good  friar  was  cer 
tain  that  had  she  been  permitted  to  go  ahead,  as  she  intended, 
Alola  would  have  put  to  rout  and  driven  back  the  wicked 
Mosoto,  and  would  thus  have  acquired  another,  and  most 
brilliant  gem,  with  which  to  adorn  the  crown  of  her  many  virtues. 
He  remembered  the  history,  not  long  then  past,  of  the  won 
derfully  inspired  Joan  of  Arc,  and  he  doubted  little  that  the 
marvelous  heroism  of  that  young  French  woman  would  have 
found  a  parallel  in  that  of  the  equally  youthful  Alola.  But  he 
trembled  when  he  reflected  that  her  fate  might  possibly  have 
been  that  of  the  more  renowned  Queen  of  Palmyra,  who  was 
led  away  captive  and  made  to  grace  the  triumphal  procession 
of  her  cruel  enemy.  The  case  of  the  royal  Zenobia,  to  be  sure, 
as  compared  with  Alola's,  was,  strictly  speaking,  hypothetical, 
nevertheless  the  kind-hearted  friar  could  but  observe  the  re 
markable  similarity  in  the  careers  of  the  two  persons,  at  least 
up  to  this  time,  and  his  apprehensions  for  the  future  of  Alola 
were  most  naturally  aroused.  Turning  the  matter  over  in  his 
own  mind,  there  arose  before  his  distempered  vision,  the  history, 
then  unwritten,  of  his  own  noble  queen,  the  great  Isabella  of 
Castile — for  he  was  now  in  a  Spanish  province — and  he  was, 
at  times,  enthusiastic  enough  to  believe  that  as  Isabella,  by 
her  incomparable  genius,  united  under  one  crown  the  two 
kingdoms  of  Aragon  and  Castile,  so  Alola,  had  there  been  no 
interruption,  might  have  joined  under  her  single  scepter  the 
kingdoms  of  the  Anglos  and  the  Barbos.  But  something  may 
have  to  be  set  down,  in  this  free  translation,  to  the  monkish 
partiality  of  this  Dominican  friar.  In  his  overwrought  view 
of  the  affair,  it  is  probable  that  womankind,  as  represented 


270  CALIFORNIA 

in  the  character  of  Alola,  was  enveloped  with  some  sort  of  a 
halo,  and  that  possibly  her  brilliancy,  like  that  of  the  stars, 
was  augmented  by  distance.  It  is  not  to  be  denied,  however, 
that  women,  under  certain  circumstances,  display  even  more 
real  resolution  than  is  exhibited  by  those  who  are  called  the 
sterner  sex;  but,  as  well  remarked  by  Justino,  it  is  in  their 
own,  and  not  in  manly  virtues,  as  a  general  rule,  that  women 
excel. 

While  congratulations  on  account  of  the  return  of  Manuelo 
and  his  army  from  the  east  were  being  freely  exchanged  in  the 
city,  matters  were  rapidly  approaching  a  crisis  at  the  north. 
Mosoto,  already  within  the  territory  of  the  Anglos  with  his 
well-ordered  army,  showed  no  disposition  to  await  the  con 
venience  of  either  Manuelo  or  his  royal  wife,  but  was  advanc 
ing  by  regular  marches  towards  their  capital.  To  avoid  the 
desert  country  he  was  coming  by  a  route  nearer  the  sea,  and 
through  a  region  exceedingly  mountainous  and  broken,  so  that 
his  progress,  with  the  numerous  army  under  his  command,  was 
almost  as  slow  as  could  have  been  desired  by  Manuelo;  never 
theless,  Mosoto  would  be,  in  a  few  days  longer,  should 
he  not  be  intercepted,  in  a  position  to  menace  some  of  the 
largest  towns  and  cities  of  the  Anglos.  Another  object  of  the 
wary  Mosoto  in  adhering  to  the  mountainous  country  was, 
doubtless,  to  avoid  the  danger  of  a  surprise,  and  perchance  to 
enable  himself  the  better  to  protect  his  soldiers,  and  his  own 
person,  in  case  of  disaster. 

It  is  thought  to  have  been  impossible  that  he  could  have 
known  anything  whatever  about  the  invasion  of  Italy  by  Han 
nibal,  but  his  tactics  were  the  same  in  every  particular  as  those 
put  in  practice  by  the  great  Carthagenian  general,  when  ap 
proaching  the  imperial  city. 

The  mountains  and  hills  among  which  Mosoto  was  now 
hovering  constituted  an  endless  succession  of  strong  natural 


350  YEARS  AGO.  271 

fortifications,  some  of  which  were  actually  impregnable.  From 
these,  even  with  a  much  inferior  force,  he  could,  like  Hannibal, 
sally  forth  at  pleasure,  and  annoy  his  enemy  beyond  endurance. 
A.S  Hannibal  before  him  threatened  Rome  from  his  mountain 
fastnesses,  so  Mosoto  was  already  threatening  the  capital  of 
the  Anglos,  over  which  he  had  once  been  the  unrestrained 
sovereign. 

The  mutilated  manuscript  also  contained  something  in  this 
connection  about  Coriolanus,  a  Roman  general  of  distinction, 
who,  having  been  banished  from  his  native  city,  went  off  and 
joined  his  old  enemies,  the  Volci,  and  revengefully  led  an 
army  of  them  against  his  ungrateful  countrymen,  beleaguering 
Rome  and  compelling  its  inhabitants  to  sue  for  peace.  But 
the  remainder  stated  in  the  scroll  about  this  character  could  not 
be  made  out  with  sufficient  distinctness,  and  was  omitted  by 
the  young  Portuguese  priests,  as  not  particularly  illustrative 
of  the  present  case,  inasmuch  as  it  is  related  that  both  the 
wife  and  the  mother  of  Coriolanus  successfully  joined  their 
importunities  with  those  of  other  citizens  of  Rome,  for  him 
to  spare  the  city,  whereas  nothing  of  this  kind  could  possibly 
have  occurred  in  the  case  of  Mosoto,  who  was  not  only  mother 
less,  but  whose  wife  disliked  him  intensely. 

Delaying  but  a  few  days  to  recruit  his  veteran*  soldiery, 
for  there  was  little  time  now  to  devote  to  that  purpose,  Man- 
uelo  gathered  all  his  forces  together,  from  every  part  of  the 
kingdom,  and  set  out,  with  his  best  warriors  in  the  advance, 
to  meet  this  new  adversary.  He  selected  a  route  more  inland 
than  the  one  by  which  the  Barbos  were  approaching,  with  a 
view  to  getting  in  their  rear,  or  at  least  upon  their  flank,  and 
so  force  from  the  bloody  Mosoto  a  battle.  The  Anglos  had 
been  out  but  four  days  when  suddenly  the  advance  guard  came 
upon  a  scouting  party  of  the  enemy,  and  at  once  drove  them 
back.  The  pursuit  was  eager,  but  the  enemy,  retreating,  were 
soon  securely  ensconced  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains, 


272  CALIFORNIA 

and  Manuelo's  men  were  compelled  to  desist.  What  the  gen 
eral  of  the  Anglos  most  desired  was  to  bring  on  a  battle  with 
out  delay,  but  the  cunning  Mosoto  knew  too  well  the  power 
of  his  opponent  as  a  military  commander  to  risk  an  engage 
ment  upon  anything  like  equal  terms,  and  he  adhered  with 
his  usual  tenacity  to  the  mountains.  He  was  ever  on  the 
lookout  to  take  his  antagonist  at  some  disadvantage;  but 
Manuelo  was  too  shrewd  a  general  to  be  caught  napping  by 
one  whom  he  hated  with  so  much  cordiality  as  he  did  his 
predecessor  in  office  and  rival. 

Occasionally  parties  of  the  Barbos  would  sally  out  to  harass 
and  bother  their  enemies,  but  on  all  such  raids  they  were  made 
glad  to  hunt  their  retreat,  as  wolves  are  glad  to  seek  their 
holes  when  pursued  by  a  pack  of  blood-hounds.  In  this 
manner  valuable  time  was  being  wasted,  while  simultaneously, 
the  patience  of  Manuelo's  men,  who  had  seen  too  much  of 
war  of  late  to  be  content  without  fighting,  was  becoming 
seriously  impaired,  and  he  saw  plainly  the  necessity  of  bringing 
things  to  a  crisis  without  much  further  delay.  But  how  to  do 
this  was  the  question. 

To  force  a  general  engagement,  under  the  circumstances, 
required  the  exercise  of  some  sort  of  strategy,  as  he  could 
distinctly  see,  and  his  genius,  as  ever,  was  equal  to  the  emer 
gency.  Selecting  out  from  his  army  the  oldest  and  youngest, 
the  most  inefficient  portion  of  his  men,  he  put  them  under 
the  command  of  his  most  trustworthy  subordinate,  one  Warno 
by  name,  and  directed  him  to  take  possession  of  and  guard 
the  mountain  passes  in  front  of  Mosoto.  Warno  was  in 
structed  to  obstruct  and  resist  in  every  possible  manner  the 
progress  of  Mosoto  towards  the  Anglos  country,  should  he 
attempt  to  continue  on  his  course  in. that  direction,  but  by 
all  means  to  keep  open  a  safe  line  of  retreat  for  his  command, 
in  case  the  formidable  Mosoto  should  prove  too  powerful  for 
him.  Warno  thus  admonished  and  directed,  Manuelo,  with 


350  YEARS  AGO  273 

the  main  body  and  better  portion  of  the  Anglos  army,  took 
up  his  line  of  march  directly  back  upon  the  track  of  the 
Barbos,  as  if  he  would  invade  their  country,  but  marched 
slowly.  Seeing,  from  their  lofty  places  of  lookout,  this  threat 
ening  movement  of  the  larger  part  of  the  Anglos  forces,  the 
Barbos  soldiers,  as  Manuelo  had  anticipated,  became  alarmed 
for  their  homes,  and  clamored  to  be  led  back  to  the  defense 
of  their  families  and  firesides.  The  ruse  had  the  desired  effect; 
Mosoto  could  not  resist  the  demand  of  his  men,  and,  in  some 
disorder,  they  followed  upon  the  heels  of  the  Anglos,  moving 
towards  their  own  country.  At  a  favorable  point,  while  the 
simple  Barbos,  with  the  sulky  Mosoto  in  their  midst,  were 
crossing  a  valley  of  some  little  extent,  Manuelo,  like  a  lion 
pursued,  looking  back  over  his  shoulders  at  his  pursuers,  sud 
denly  turned  upon  them  and  forced  an  engagement,  when  the 
Barbos  were  least  expecting  it.  The  commanders  of  the  two 
armies,  Mosoto  and  Manuelo,  now  rallied  their  forces  respect 
ively  in  short  but  energetic  speeches,  and  in  a  few  moments 
the  fight  became  general.  There  was  no  particular  advantage 
of  ground  for  either,  but,  if  any,  it  was  on  the  side  of  the  Anglos, 
who  had  a  little  the  more  elevated  position.  Both  parties 
contended  with  stubborn  bravery,  and  for  a  time  the  issue 
seemed  doubtful,  as  the  Barbos  were  much  the  superior  in 
point  of  numbers.  Their  missiles,  for  they  were  well  armed, 
filled  the  air,  falling  like  hail  upon  the  shields  and  bucklers  of 
the  noble  Anglos,  and  were  by  them  returned  with  fearful 
execution.  The  battle  had  not  progressed  long  before  it  be 
came  apparent  that  the  strength  of  the  Barbos  was  mainly  in 
their  tall  and  stalwart  leader,  who  was  making  terrible  havoc 
among  his  former  subjects,  most  of  whom  were  known  to  him, 
and  who  (that  is,  Mosoto)  presently  manifested  a  clear  deter 
mination  to  force  a  personal  conflict  with  his  hated  rival. 
Manuelo,  seeing  this  purpose,  would  gladly  have  avoided  the 
encounter,  for  he  was  no  match  for  him  in  physical  strength; 
18 


274  CALIFORNIA 

but  to  avoid  it  was  no  longer  possible.  Well  armed  himself, 
and  supported  by  a  little  squad  of  his  best-equipped  followers, 
Manuelo  coolly  awaited  the  onslaught  of  his  exasperated  foe, 
who  was  coming  down  upon  him  with  dreadful  impetuosity. 
When  Mosoto  was  at  a  convenient  distance,  but  still  rushing 
on  with  uplifted  spear,  conscious  of  his  own  prowess,  and 
fearing  no  danger,  or  not  fearing  it  much,  Manuelo,  with  the 
speed  of  thought,  hurled  his  well-poised  javelin  full  in  his  face, 
the  weapon  taking  effect  in  the  left  eye  of  Mosoto,  causing 
him  suddenly  to  halt;  and,  spinning  about  twice  on  his  right 
heel,  he  fell  to  the  ground  with  a  terrible  thud.  So  heavy  was 
the  fall,  declared  Manuelo,  with  some  apparent  seriousness, 
that  had  the  cause  of  the  tremor  not  been  known,  it  might 
have  been  mistaken  for  the  slight  shock  of  an  earthquake. 
Seeing  this  great  giant  prostrate,  Manuelo's  men  bravely  rushed 
upon  him,  and,  with  uplifted  spears  and  stone  hatchets,  speedily 
put  an  end  to  what  little  remained  of  his  miserable  existence. 
Manuelo,  the  victor,  like  David  before  him,  stood  proudly 
erect,  and  would  magnanimously  have  restrained  his  men  from 
mutilating  a  fallen  foe  had  it  been  possible;  but  time  did  not 
suffice,  for  sooner  than  one  could  think  about  the  matter  the 
thing  was  done,  and  the  poor  slaughtered  wife  of  the  wicked 
Mosoto  was  avenged. 

Observing  the  complete  vanquishment  of  their  leader,  the 
Barbos,  stricken  with  dismay,  precipitately  fled.  The  pursuit 
was  not  long  continued,  but  the  affrighted  enemy  halted  not 
in  their  flight  unless  to  rest  for  the  night,  until  they  had 
entered  their  distant  homes. 

The  indignation  of  the  kind  Anglos,  and  of  Manuelo,  was 
less  roused  against  these  simple  Barbos  than  it  had  been 
towards  the  author  of  the  war,  the  cruel  Mosoto,  and  he  being 
now  out  of  the  way  they  would  gladly  have  buried  the  hatchet 
with  his  dupes,  had  they  but  asked  for  a  performance  of  that 
ceremony. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  275 

The  damage  resulting  from  the  invasion  extended  to  the 
sacking  of  some  small  fishing  settlements  of  the  Anglos  in  a 
remote  part  of  the  kingdom.  The  victorious  portion  of  the 
army,  joined  by  the  reserves  under  Warno,  now  all  again  under 
the  lead  of  Manuelo,  made  their  way  back  by  easy  marches  to 
the  capital,  where  again  he  and  his  soldiers  received  expressions 
of  the  profoundest  gratitude  from  all  the  populace. 

Manuelo's  renown  as  a  great  military  leader,  and  likewise  his 
fame  as  a  just  king,  spread  beyond  his  own  borders,  and  his 
reputation  was  such  as  to  insure  peace  for  his  own  dominions 
with  all  who  heard  of  his  mighty  achievements.  His  great  suc 
cesses  up  to  this  time,  as  a  prince,  a  prophet,  and  a  warrior, 
had  been  far  in  advance  of  any  hope  or  expectation  entertained 
of  him,  but  his  talents  were  now,  for  the  immediate  future,  to 
be  put  to  the  severer  test  of  conducting  with  equal  success  the 
peaceful  affairs  of  his  people.  The  good  fortune  that  had 
presided  over  his  destinies  hitherto  was  not  disposed,  as  we 
shall  see,  to  jilt  him  now,  when  at  the  top  of  his  fame,  as  it 
might  have  done  a  person  of  less  natural  parts. 

Genius,  whatever  that  may  be,  thought  the  matter-of-fact 
Justino,  is  the  offspring  of  courage  and  application.  It  is  not, 
said  he,  a  gift  at  all;  it  is  an  achievement.  If  it  were  among 
the  bounties  of  Providence,  there  would  be  no  merit  in 
it,  and  in  that  case  the  man  of  genius  would  be  entitled  to  no 
special  praise  for  whatever  he  might  accomplish.  The  fact,  he 
argued,  that  mankind  are  disposed  to  bestow  their  laudations 
upon  the  possessor  of  true  genius  is  proof  conclusive  that  in 
cheir  estimation,  at  least,  the  accomplishments  of  the  great  men 
of  the  world  are  the  result  of  labor  and  perseverance,  and  not 
in  the  mere  hap-hazard  of  the  original  making  up  of  the  indi 
vidual.  He  held,  moreover,  that  the  display  of  extraordinary 
talents  in  any  particular  line  of  action,  depended  less  upon 
opportunity  than  upon  the  force  of  will  in  the  person.  As  may 
be  concluded  from  this  dissertation,  Manuelo  lost  none  of  the 


276  CALIFORNIA 

credit  to  which  he  was  entitled,  by  the  inane  sentimentality 
of  his  historian.  On  the  contrary,  Justino  awarded  him  all 
the  commendation,  which,  from  his  native  goodness  and  laud 
able  ambition,  justly  belonged  to  him.  But  fame  is  usually  the 
growth,  not  of  the  present,  but  of  subsequent  generations,  and 
so  with  Manuelo's.  His  name,  though  revered  by  his  Anglos 
subjects,  was  little  known  throughout  the  world  in  his  time,  and 
his  great  deeds  all  lay  buried  in  the  musty  tomb  of  uncertainty 
till  dragged  to  the  light,  as  it  were,  by  the  appreciative  monks 
of  Evora  three  hundred  years  after  the  hero  of  them  had 
retired  to  rest  with  his  fathers. 

It  is  possible,  without  any  great  stretch  of  the  imagination, 
to  account  for  the  triumphs  of  Manuelo  as  a  military  chief 
tain  from  the  fact  that  he  dated  his  nativity  at  Barcelona,  a  city 
that  was  actually  founded  by  Hamilcar,  the  father  of  the  great 
Hannibal,  whose  blood,  for  aught  we  can  know  at  this  day,  may 
have  coursed  in  Manuelo's  own  veins ;  and  with  whose  history, 
at  all  events,  Manuelo  must  be  presumed  to  have  been  familiar. 
When  a  lad,  strolling,  forth  for  an  evening's  walk  upon  the 
famous  rambla  of  his  native  town,  his  thoughts  may  have 
reached  out  beyond  the  Old  World,  a  notion  that  finds  encour 
agement  in  the  statement  somewhere  found,  that  it  was  at  his 
own  special  request  that  he  was  apprenticed  a  seaman,  to  the 
end  that  he  might  escape  the  dull  routine  of  a  life  in  Catalonia. 

Living  there  in  the  city  of  Hamilcar,  with  the  citadel  of 
Mount  Jove  ever  looking  down  upon  him,  how  was  it  possible 
for  his  youthful  mind  to  avoid  the  thoughts  of  war,  and  how 
could  he  fail  to  become  inspired  with  that  ambition  which 
cropped  out  so  distinctly  in  his  future  career? 

But  the  place  above  all  others  where  a  person  is  without 
distinction  is  in  his  own  home  and  among  his  neighbors  and 
friends.  There  his  faults  and  not  his  virtues  attract  the  more 
attention.  In  other  lands  his  foibles,  being  unknown,  stand  not 
in  the  wav  of  his  advancement.  Our  divine  Master  has  told 


350  YEARS  AGO.  277 

us  that  a  prophet  is  not  without  honor  except  in  his  own 
country,  and  his  own  brief  and  sad  life  was  a  most  complete 
illustration  of  the  truth  of  the  announcement. 

Manuelo,  with  his  transcendent  talents,  enjoyed  in  Spain  no 
higher  reputation  than  that  of  a  sprightly  sailor  boy,  but  in 
another  country  he  arose,  by  chance,  as  some  might  say,  but 
really  by  the  force  of  his  own  character,  to  the  highest  dignity. 
His  elevation,  as  pious  Justino  would  have  us  believe,  was  in 
accordance  with  inevitable  destiny,  but  it  was  also,  doubtless, 
in  order  that  the  saying  above  referred  to  might  be  fulfilled, 
for  Manuelo,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  himself  a  prophet. 

This  good  Dominican  priest  was  not  only  in  his  life  a  most 
commendable  example  of  Christian  excellence,  but  he  was  also 
a  close  observer  of  the  ways  of  Providence,  and  this,  no  doubt, 
led  him  to  give  a  much  more  extended  and  specific  history  of 
the  worthy  Manuelo  than  otherwise  would  have  been  written. 
As  a  consequence,  also,  the  world  is  now  blessed  with  the 
knowledge  of  a  people  who  were  themselves  without  books,  or 
written  language,  and  who,  but  for  Justino's  wise  forethought, 
must  have  sunk  into  that  great  gulf  of  oblivion  which  now  and 
forever  effectually  conceals  from  mortal  view  tens  of  thousands 
of  nations  similarly  situated, — nations  whose  records  were 
once  plainly  written  along  the  sandy  shores  of  time,  but  which 
have  long  since  been  washed  entirely  away  by  the  breakers  that 
keep  rolling  in  from  the  ocean  of  eternity. 

LXXV. 

THE  ANGLOS  DESCRIBED. 

IT  was  mentioned  as  a  matter  of  regret  by  the  young  priests 
of  Evora,  that  Manuelo,  who  was  not  overmuch  distinguished 
for  his  piety,  should  have  neglected  to  give  the  world  more 
light  touching  the  religious  character  of  the  people  over  whom 
he  was  called  to  exercise  government ;  but  regrets  in  the  case 


278  CALIFORNIA 

are  now  unavailing.  We  only  know  that  they  were  beset  with 
heathenish  superstitions,  in  many  respects  similar  to  those  en 
tertained  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  country  in  after  ages.  If 
there  was  any  difference  between  them  and  other  contempo 
raneous  peoples,  the  Anglos  were  a  little  more  careful  to  main 
tain  perpetually  burning  a  fire  upon  the  altar  of  the  high  priest, 
and  they  were,  as  we  glean  from  the  Tecord,  like  the  Santos, 
unmistakably  worshipers  of  the  sun.  The  sun  they  regarded 
as  the  source  not  only  of  light,  but  of  all  life  also.  The  rising 
sun  was  ever  greeted  by  them  with  demonstrations  of  joy,  and 
the  setting  of  the  same  was  the  signal  for  expressions  of  sorrow 
and  sadness. 

The  inconstant  moon  was  looked  up  to  as  an  inferior  deity, 
and  its  propitiation  was  never  sought,  except  in  times  of  great 
trouble.  The  stars  were  attentively  watched  by  the  priests  at 
night,  and  the  motions  of  the  planets  seemed  to  be  understood 
by  them.  They  were  fond  of  the  ocean  and  believed  that  its 
ceaseless  waves  uttered  intelligent  sounds,  but  they  never  vent 
ured  far  out  upon  the  broad  bosom  of  its  waters. 

Towards  their  children  they  were  very  affectionate,  and  their 
respect  for  aged  women,  and  sometimes  for  venerable  men, 
amounted  almost  to  adoration.  There  were  no  insane  or 
idiotic  persons  among  them,  nor  was  there  intemperance  of 
any  sort.  Schools  they  had  none,  but  every  household  was  a 
place  of  instruction  for  the  young,  and  they  were  fully  taught 
in  all  the  virtues,  in  goodness,  and  in  charity. 

By  hunting  and  fishing,  and  in  the  spontaneous  growth  of 
fruits,  berries,  and  nuts,  all  their  needs  were  supplied,  and  they 
cared  for  nothing  beyond  these  natural  resources. 

In  peace  they  were  happy,  and  in  times  of  war  not  greatly 
otherwise,  for  they  were  little  in  fear  of  death,  believing  that 
the  spirits  of  the  departed  could  return  to  the  earth  as  often 
as  they  would,  and  that  the  life  hereafter  was  fraught  with  in- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  279 

finitely  more  happiness  than  the  one  in  this-  world,  besides 
being  eternal,  while  the  one  below  was  only  temporary,  as 
everybody  knew. 

Manuelo  said  little  or  nothing  on  the  subject,  but  Justino 
was  thoroughly  convinced,  and  so  stated,  that  the  gentle 
Anglos  only  needed  a  knowledge  of  the  true  faith  to  make 
them  as  contented  and  happy  as  any  people  in  the  wide  world, 
and  the  good  man  yearned  to  be  the  agency  of  conveying  to 
them  knowledge  of  that  religion  by  which  their  souls  could  be 
saved.  If  we  may  rely  upon  the  manuscript,  he  ceased  not  to 
deplore,  in  the  most  pathetic  terms,  the  loss  of  a  people  so 
little  deserving  of  that  perdition  to  which  all  pagan  nations  are 
inevitably  consigned.* 

As  may  be  inferred  from  what  has  already  appeared,  the 
Anglos  were  not  a  numerous  people,  but  they  made  up  in 
bravery  and  in  shrewdness  what  they  lacked  in  numbers. 
Their  strength  had  been  greatly  augmented  by  the  teachings  of 
Manuelo  since  he  came  amongst  them,  but,  like  a  good  king, 
he  was  never  satisfied  with  their  advancement,  and  could  not 
content  himself  as  long  as  there  was  more  glory  to  achieve  in 
the  line  of  improving  his  people. 

His  greatest  adversary,  the  wicked' Mosoto,  having  been  dis 
posed  of,  he  turned  his  attention  earnestly  to  the  instruction  of 
his  subjects  in  so  many  of  the  useful  arts  as  could  be  incul 
cated  with  the  limited  means  at  his  command.  He  felt  very 
sorely  the  need  of  iron  implements,  and  though  he  tried  the 
experiment  in  various  ways,  he  could  never  succeed  in  supply 
ing  the  place  of  iron  with  gold,  the  only  metal  in  a  pure  state 
that  the  country  afforded.  Gold,  he  presently  discovered,  was 
but  a  poor  substitute  for  iron.  He  found  it  impossible  to  con 
struct  knives  or  any  cutting  instruments  out  of  that  metal. 


*  The  good  reader  is  reminded  again,  lest  he  should  forget  it,  that  Friar 
Justino,  the  author,  as  we  verily  believe  him  to  lie,  was  a  Catholic  mis 
sionary,  with  strong  predilections  for  his  church. 


280  CALIFORNIA 

It  was  altogether  too  soft.  It  was  even  inferior  to  the  hard 
stones  of  the  country  for  such  purposes,  and  flints  were  there 
fore  properly  regarded  by  the  natives  as  of  infinitely  more  value 
than  gold.  He  did  succeed  at  one  time  in  fashioning  some 
arrow-heads  out  of  this  pure  yellow  metal,  which  was  abundant 
in  places,  but  it  dulled  and  bent  much  too  readily,  and  had  to 
be  cast  aside  as  of  no  real  value.  Gold,  said  Justino,  so  bright 
and  cold,  and  for  which  so  many  men  their  lives  have  sold,  is 
after  all  only  precious  by  the  common  consent  of  civilized 
man,  its  value  being  entirely  fictitious. 

So  delighted  were  the  young  Christian  priests  of  Evora  with 
Manuelo's  account  of  the  good  Anglos  that  one  of  their  num 
ber,  more  ambitious  than  the  rest,  undertook  to  give  Justine's 
description  of  them  in  verse.  His  success  in  the  Portuguese 
tongue  was  a  thousand  times  greater  than  has  attended  its 
rendition  in  English,  which,  owing  to  the  exertion  required  to 
give  in  rhyme  a  literal  and  truthful  translation  of  the  text,  has 
been  nearly  an  entire  failure.  The  translator,  nevertheless,  has 
come  almost  as  near  to  a  proper  rendering  of  the  original  as 
did  Alexander  Pope  in  translating  the  Iliad.  But  of  this  the 
reader  will  be  able  to  judge  for  himself,  since  he  will  have 
Manuelo's  story  both'  in  prose  and  in  rhyme.  If,  however, 
anyone  should  lack  the  time  to  waste  on  mere  repetition,  he 
can  skip  over  the  balance  of  this  chapter. 

Most  happy  people  were  the  Angelese, 

They  nothing  lacked  that  could  their  fancy  please, 

Or  wants  supply.     Their  needs  were  few  and  such 

As  would  be  satisfied  without  too  much 

Expenditure  of  labor,  for,  indeed, 

There  was  of  labor  'mongst  them  little  need, 

In  order  to  obtain,  or  to  prepare 

What  they  required  for  food,  and  what  to  wear. 

In  sport,  and  with  the  arrow  and  the  hook, 

They  could  procure  afield  and  from  the  brook 

Whatever  was  desired,  or  what  caprice 

Demanded  for  their  comfort  and  their  ease. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  281 

They  were,  in  fact,  contented  altogether, 

And  in  the  worst  as  in  the  best  of  weather; 

For  comfort  were  their  houses  made,  and  warm, 

And  well  designed  to  shield  them  from  the  storm; 

Fashioned  as  well  against  the  summer's  heat 

As  to  protect  against  the  snow  and  sleet 

Of  winter.     Nor  so  made  were  they  that  falling 

When  visited  by  those  most  appalling 

Earthquakes  which  sometimes,  and  too  often,  came, 

They  would  destroy,  or  mutilate,  or  lame 

Their  occupants.     But  they  were  made  so  light 

That  all  were  safe  in  them,  by  day  or  night: 

But  if,  by  any  chance,  a  house  should  fall, 

The  occupants  within  could  easy  crawl 

Out  from  beneath  the  masses  of  d6bris, 

And,  notwithstanding  loss  of  house,  would  be 

As  independent  as  they  were  before, 

For  it  was  little  trouble  to  restore 

The  structure  to  the  shape  it  had  at  first, 

And  such  of  their  mishaps  was  not  the  worst. 

Of  prisons  had  they  none — they  needed  none. 

Of  criminals,  so  called,  there  was  not  one, 

For  all  obeyed  the  laws  with  greatest  care. 

If  anyone  by  chance,  a  thing  most  rare, 

Incurred  the  censure  of  his  fellow-men, 

Or  was  unable  to  make  good  again 

Some  wrong,  and  when  that  fact  became  disclosed, 

His  punishment  was  always  self-imposed. 

No  man  among  them  all  was  ever  known 

To  take  or  use  that  which  was  not  his  own, 

Nor  was  one  ever  found  to  do  a  thing 

Which  had  the  slightest  tendency  to  bring 

Sorrow  unto  his  fellow-man,  or  cause 

Him  pain,  or  in  the  least  to  break  the  laws 

Of  human  kindness,  or  a  word  to  speak 

Which  would  bring  blushes  to  another's  cheek. 

The  women  were  all  modest  and  all  good, 
And  never  one  by  word  or  action  could 
Be  charged  with  any  impropriety, 


282  CALIFORNIA 

Or  what  would  not  in  good  society 

Be  lady-like,  and  be  by  all  approved; 

In  consequence  of  which  they  were  much  loved. 

The  children  were,  without  exaggeration, 

As  pretty  as  of  any  other  nation. 

The  pupils  of  their  eyes  were  dark  and  bright, 

But  the  surrounding  parts  as  snow  were  white. 

So  plump,  and  smooth,  and  soft  the  cheeks  of  each, 

They  might  be  likened  to  a  perfect  peach. 

The  lips  of  many  of  the  little  misses 

Were  quite  too  sweet  for  anything  but  kisses. 

But  then  their  sweetness  was  by  no  means  all 

In  their  sweet  lips:  their  graceful  mien,  and  tall, 

Lithe  forms,  could  not  but  be  admired, 

And  these  he  said  always  true  love  inspired. 

These  blessed  little  folks  Justino  thought 

Most  perfect  would  have  been  had  they  been  taught 

To  say  their  prayers  and  read  the  catechism, 

And  been,  likewise,  purgated  with  baptism. 

These  things  those  tender  creatures  wanted  most, 

And  lacking  these,  of  course  their  souls  were  lost. 

A  sad  reflection  this  for  the  good  friar, 

Whose  thoughts  were  not  in  this,  but  in  the  higher 

And  better  world  above,  where  all  who  know 

Just  how  to  worship  God  are  sure  to  go. 

Their  knowledge  of  philosophy  was  slight, 
Nor  kenned  they  much  beyond  what  was  in  sight; 
But  then,  about  all  things  within  their  view, 
None  others  better  than  these  people  knew. 
The  world  entire  of  course  they  could  not  see, 
And  therefore  were  in  doubt  what  it  might  be. 
The  wiser  of  them  were  somewhat  inclined 
To  think  it  was  a  creature  of  some  kind, 
A  monstrous,  living,  animated  being, 
Upon  whose  back  the  Anglos  were  then  living; 
But  on  whose  other  parts  and  near  the  side 
Some  other  nations  were  allowed  to  ride. 
They  thought  the  bloody  Dagos  and  Movos 
Were  on  the  parts  behind  the  good  Anglos, 
And  that  the  Barbos  were  more  near  the  head, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  283 

And  therefore  might  more  justly  be  in  dread 

Of  being  shaken  off,  when  this  huge  beast, 

Uneasy  from  some  cause,  or  when,  at  last, 

He  might,  after  a  lengthened  sleep,  awake, 

And  rouse  himself  by  giving  one  good  shake. 

From  such  belief  concerning  this  great  sphere, 

They  would  not  dig  it  up  for  very  fear 

Of  wounding  the  great  monster,  and  thus  make 

Him  angry,  and  so  cause  the  earth  to  shake. 

In  consequence  they  neither  plowed  nor  sowed", 

Nor  planted  grain,  nor  seeds,  nor  reapt,  nor  mowed, 

But  were  content  to  gather  what  they  could 

For  eating  find  among  the  hills  and  in  the  wood. 

The  sun  they  knew  it  was  that  gave  the  heat 

That  caused  to  grow  whate'er  was  good  to  eat. 

They  could  observe  that  when  he  moved  away, 

And  by  receding  shortened  each  new  day, 

That  vegetation  died,  or  ceased  to  grow, 

And  that  the  hills  about  were  white  with  snow: 

But  when  the  sun  returned,  the  snow  would  melt, 

And  plants  and  living  creatures  likewise  felt 

The  kind  influence  of  his  warming  beams, 

And  how  delightful  in  the  spring  the  streams, 

So  cool  and  bright,  would  course  down  from  the  hills, 

And  thus  create  the  music  of  the  rills. 

Observing  these  the  people,  eveiy  one, 

With  pagan  darkness  worshiped  the  sun 

Bow  down  they  would  to  him,  morning  and  night, 

Deplore  his  absence,  or  adore  his  light. 

The  pale,  cold  moon,  with  placid,  shining  face, 
Was  all  the  clock  they  ha  1  on  which  to  trace 
The  march  of  time.     Her  change  from  new  to  old 
And  old  to  new,  thirteen  times  round,  all  told, 
Marked  one  whole  year  for  them,  in  which  the  sun 
From  north  to  south  and  south  to  north  had  run, 
And  this  same  guide  would  fix  the  occupation, 
In  different  seasons,  of  this  happy  nation. 
The  stars  they  thought  to  be  not  far  away, 
But  why  they  shone  by  night  and  not  by  day 


284  CALIFORNIA 

They  could  not  understand,  nor  could  they  tell 
What  shooting  stars  were  for,  nor  why  they  fell. 

Their  worshiping  the  sun  was  the  extent 

To  which  their  knowledge  of  religion  went: 

Whence  they  came,  or  whither  they  were  going, 

These  wretched  pagans  had  no  means  of  knowing. 

Their  priests  were  not  those  pious  men  of  learning, 

Who  could  with  case  enlighten  them  concerning 

The  life  that  was  to  follow  this  on  earth; 

And  all  as  well  about  the  second  birth, 

Which  men  must  have  before  they  can  be  sure 

That  they  will  find  above  an  open  door; 

About  that  lake  of  fire,  far  down  below, 

Where  unrepentant  sinners  all  must  go; 

About  that  city  which  is  paved  with  gold, 

And  precious  stones,  and  filled  with  wealth  untold; 

About  the  three  in  one,  the  blessed  Trinity, 

Which  may  be  three,  or  may  be  one  divinity; 

About  the  future,  and  the  present,  and  the  past, 

And  what  is  coming  of  this  world  at  last; 

How  it  was  made  six  thousand  years  ago, 

The  work  of  six  days  only,  as  we  know: 

Those  poor  blind  heathen,  having  no  such  teachers, 

Could  never  comprehend  what  kind  of  creatures 

Themselves  and  other  human  beings  were, 

And  how  infinitely  superior 

Mankind  must  be  to  all  the  brute  creation; 

How  very  different  in  form  and  fashion, 

How  much  unlike  in  mind  and  aspirations 

To  other  living,  animate  creations. 

Justino  was  about  them  much  concerned, 

And,  as  we  know,  his  good  heart  daily  yearned 

To  be  the  bearer  to  them  of  the  truth, 

And  which  he  would  have  been,  had  he,  forsooth, 

Not  been  by  death,  alas!  too  soon  cut  off, 

To  render  by  his  actions  certain  proof 

Of  his  most  pious  and  humane  intent, 

Regarding  that  strange  land  where  Manuel  went, 

And  where,  together  with  his  native  wife, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  285 

lie  spent  a  part  of  his  eventful  life; 
Becoming  king  of  all  the  people  there, 
And  ruling  over  them  with  pious  care. 

LXXVI. 

THE   SANTOS   INVASION. 

THREE  years,  and  upwards,  had  the  good  Manuelo  been 
thus  employed  in  improving  the  condition  of  his  people  men 
tally  and  physically,  when  he  was  greatly  alarmed  at  the  close 
of  a  charmingly  quiet  day  in  early  summer,  by  the  hurried 
arrival  at  the  capital  of  a  herald,  informing  him  that  his  terri 
tory  was  about  to  be  invaded  from  the  north  by  a  large  hostile 
force,  but  how  large  the  excited  messenger  could  not  state, 
further  than  that  he  represented  it  to  be  as  numerous  as  the 
locusts  which  had  the  year  previously  devastated  a  large  part  of 
the  Anglos  dominions.  They  were  pouring  down,  he  said,  on 
several  different  lines,  and  apparently  sweeping  everything 
before  them.  This  was  all  that  Manuelo's  anxious  inquiries 
could  draw  from  the  affrighted  courier,  but  it  was  far  more  than 
he  wanted  to  hear. 

To  him  who  had  now  been,  tor  years,  thoroughly  engrossed 
in  civil  pursuits,  and  who  had  lost  much  of  his  taste  for  war 
and  military  display,  this  was  most  unwelcome  news.  What 
ever  the  disturbance  might  be  he  knew  it  was  not  of  his  seek 
ing,  and  he  resolved  within  himself  to  confront  the  danger  with 
out  a  murmur,  as  a  person  in  his  position  should.  Accordingly 
he  lost  no  time  in  sending  out  runners  in  the  direction  of  the 
encroachment,  to  gather  information  concerning  the  invaders. 
These  were  dispatched  singly  and  in  pairs,  with  instructions  to 
ascend  to  the  mountain-tops  and  observe  carefully  everything 
relating  to  the  enemy,  and,  if  practicable,  to  approach  near 
enough  to  their  camps  to  ascertain  who  they  might  be  and  what 
was  their  purpose.  This  last  delicate  duty  was  imposed  more 


286  CALIFORNIA 

particularly  upon  two  of  his  astute  and  trusty  young  warriors 
by  name,  respectively,  Loto  and  Soto.  These  were  to  spy  out, 
at  any  hazard,  the  strength,  armament,  and  habits  of  the  enemy, 
and  to  report  as  soon  as  possible.  They  were  furnished  with 
disguises,  and  with  fabricated  pretexts  by  Manuelo,  so  that  in 
the  event  of  capture  they  would  stand  some  chance  of  being 
spared. 

This  precaution  to  obtain  desirable  information  touching  the 
enemy  having  been  taken,  Manuelo  at  once  set  himself,  person 
ally,  about  the  task  of  reorganizing  his  army,  a  task  he  prose 
cuted  with  great  diligence.  For  three  whole  years  had  his  men 
been  engaged,  almost  exclusively,  in  industrial  pursuits,  greatly 
to  the  neglect  of  military  discipline,  and  even  their  arms  had,  so 
to  speak,  become  rusty.  To  be  exact  and  to  tell  the  truth, 
their  bows  had  been  long  unstrung,  their  arrows  were  headless, 
their  spears  sprung,  and  their  shields  warped.  There  was  no 
public  armory  in  the  country,  and  in  failing  to  establish  one, 
Manuelo  had  shown  a  neglect  that  seemed  now  unpardonable 
for  a  man  in  his  position.  But  then  all  his  known  enemies  had 
been  subdued,  and  he  was  in  no  apprehension  of  attack  from 
any  quarter.  The  fact  is  he  had  seen  too  much  of  standing 
armies  in  his  own  native  country,  in  his  younger  days,  to  be 
lieve  in  their  virtue,  and  he  was  the  last  man  to  encourage  them. 
But  it  is  clear  that  he  ought,  at  least,  to  have  kept  in  constant 
preparation  a  sufficient  supply  of  the  accouterments  of  war  for 
an  emergency  like  the  one  which  had  now  arisen.  In  this 
alone  he  exhibited  a  weakness  unlocked  for  in  one  possessing 
so  much  wisdom  in  other  respects.  He  argued  that  a  standing 
army  was  always  a  means  of  oppression,  and  the  ready  instru 
ment  by  which  wicked  despots  perpetrated  wrong  and  outrage 
upon  their  own  subjects.  Though  ostensibly  for  the  defense 
of  the  state  against  foreign  enemies,  standing  armies  are  more 
frequently  organized  for  the  suppression  of  liberal  sentiments 
at  home.  Manuelo  maintained  that  a  just  king  needed  no 


350  YEARS  AGO.  287 

military  establishment  in  time  of  peace,  and  he  set  a  worthy 
example  to  others  by  dismissing  his  own.  The  safety  of  a 
country,  in  his  estimation,  reposed  in  the  patriotic  hearts  of  its 
citizens,  rather  than  in  military  power,  and  he  was  satisfied,  as 
he  said,  that  an  army  composed  of  the  loving  subjects  of  an 
upright  ruler,  improvised  for  the  occasion,  was  infinitely  more 
reliable  than  a  horde  of  heartless  hirelings,  however  carefully 
equipped  and  disciplined.  Such  an  army  he  had  himself  cre 
ated  on  two  former  occasions  and  in  each  instance  they  had 
proved  invincible. 

In  further  extenuation  of  his  neglect  to  provide  an  armory 
and  to  keep  up  an  active  military  force,  he  asseverated,  with 
great  earnestness,  to  Justino,  that  regular  army  life  was  nothing 
less  than  a  species  of  slavery,  and  that,  too,  of  the  most  abject 
kind,  inasmuch  as  the  common  soldier  must  be  entirely  sub 
ordinate  in  all  things  to  the  will  of  his  superior.  Military  life, 
said  he,  requires  the  surrender  of  all  independence  of  action, 
and  even  of  thought.  The  very  existence  of  the  soldier  in  the 
regular  army  establishment,  he  continued,  is  subject  to  the 
arbitrary  discretion  of  his  commanding  officer,  and  no  harmony 
can  possibly  be  preserved  between  real  manhood  and  such  a 
life.  But  what  struck  him  as  still  worse,  and  the  greatest 
objection  to  a  standing  military  organization,  was  the  enormous 
drain  upon  the  industrial  resources  of  a  people,  incurred  in  its 
maintenance,  even  in  time  of  peace.  Many  a  nation,  he  said, 
had  been  kept  in  abject  poverty  by  this  means,  and  millions  of 
subjects,  in  the  most  productive  of  countries,  have  been 
reduced  to  penury  and  starvation,  to  gratify  the  ambition  of 
some  prince,  in  keeping  on  foot  a  painted,  feathered,  and  tin 
seled  soldiery.  Not  such  alone  as  are  killed  in  battle,  said 
he,  are  destroyed  by  the  standing  army,  but  a  much  larger 
number  perish  in  the  useless  work  of  keeping  the  army  alive. 

Manuelo  was  unwilling  to  be  the  guilty  instrument  of  a 
tyranny  of  that  sort,  hence  he  had  disbanded  his  forces  after 


288  CALIFORNIA 

his  conflict  with  Mosoto,  remitting  them,  one  and  all,  to  the 
peaceful  pursuits  of  private  life.  By  this  course  he  had 
secured  at  the  time  a  larger  share  of  the  esteem  of  his  subjects, 
and  had  lost  none  of  their  veneration  for  him  as  a  military 
chieftain. 

At  his  call,  now,  his  loving  people  came  forward  with  won 
derful  alacrity,  and  he  soon  found  himself  surrounded  with  a 
force  of  over  two  thousand  as  brave  soldiers  as  ever  gladdened 
the  heart  of  a  military  leader  in  any  country.  Even  sooner 
than  he  thought  it  possible,  they  had  become  thoroughly 
equipped  and  were  under  excellent  discipline. 

There  were  enough  of  the  veterans  of  the  campaign  against 
the  Movos  left  to  instruct  in  the  usual  tactics  the  younger 
members  of  the  tribe,  and  all  the  men  who  had  participated  in 
the  battle  of  the  Warm  Springs,  as  well  as  those  who  had  fought 
the  Barbos,  now  turned  to  most  earnestly,  to  incite  by  their 
graphic  accounts  of  these  two  engagements,  enthusiasm  in  the 
breasts  of  their  less  experienced  companions  in  arms. 

The  forces  were  drilled  this  time  in  two  battalions  of  a  thou 
sand  men  each,  or  thereabouts,  and  besides,  there  was  a  small 
reserve  corps,  who  were  to  act  as  scouts  and  skirmishers.  These 
last  were  put  under  the  command  of  the  trusty  Warno.  A 
better  organized  army  for  its  numbers,  take  it  all  together,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find,  and  so  the  enemy,  after  a  few  days, 
and  without  searching  for  it,  found  it  to  be. 

The  heralds  that  had  been  sent  forth  to  observe  the  move 
ments  of  the  invaders  were  now  returning  one  by  one,  and  their 
reports  comfirmed,  yes,  more  than  confirmed,  all  that  had  been 
told  by  the  excited  messenger  who  first  brought  the  news. 
The  enemy  was  approaching  by  slow  marches,  but  in  numbers 
truly  appalling.  The  first  returning  scouts  had  observed  them 
from  the  mountain-tops  only,  and  were  unable  to  give  any  defi 
nite  description  of  them,  so  that  the  Anglos  were  in  great  doubt 


350  YEARS  AGO.  289 

as  to  who  the  approaching  people  might  be,  but  Manuelo's  sus 
picions  had  been  aroused  from  the  start,  that  they  were  the 
Santos,  and  his  suspicions  proved  to  be,  in  the  main,  correct, 
though  not  quite  comprehensive  enough  to  include  all  the 
facts.  He  likewise  knew  full  well  what  their  motive  might  be, 
but  this  was  understood  by  himself  and  Alola  alone;  for  not 
to  this  day  had  either  of  them  ever  disclosed  to  the  people 
with  whom  they  were  living,  the  escape  they  had  made,  nor 
why  they  had  fled  from  the  land  of  the  swift-footed  Santos. 

Manuelo  knew  of  no  other  incentive  than  revenge  on  the 
part  of  his  former  friends  that  could  have  mustered  such  vast 
numbers  against  him,  and  his'fears  were  very  naturally  aroused 
for  the  worst.  Still,  somewhat  in  doubt,  he  awaited  with  as 
much  the  appearance  of  calmness  as  could  be  assumed  by  a 
person  in  so  responsible  a  position,  the  return  of  one  or  the 
other  of  his  two  more  reliable  messengers,  before  undertaking 
any  decisive  movement.  Soto  was  first  to  make  his  appear 
ance. 

Just  at  the  close  of  the  seventh  day  from  his  departure, 
while  the  gloomy  twilight  was  fast  receding  from  the  western 
sky,  the  faithful  Soto,  with  breathless  haste,  came  running  into 
the  camp  of  his  friends,  and,  in  words  much  broken  with 
trepidation,  related  how  he  had,  two  nights  in  succession, 
hovered  around  the  quarters  of  the  enemy,  and  beheld  with  his 
own  eyes  the  ominous  bird's  wing,  worn  as  an  emblem  by  the 
main  body  of  the  invaders.  He  learned,  moreover,  that  the 
bird'^-wing  people  had  for  their  allies  large  bodies  of  Barbos, 
and  likewise  of  the  Movos,  as  he  supposed  them  to  be,  and 
that  the  entire  army  then  threatening  the  Anglos  capital  com 
prised  many  thousand  men,  all  well  armed  and  provided  for 
desperate  war.  From  the  best  estimate  that  could  be  made  by 
the  faithful  herald,  the  enemy  outnumbered  the  Anglos  at 
least  ten  to  one,  and  they  were  already  within  the  borders  of 
Manuelo's  kingdom.  Neither  this  dreadful  intelligence,  nor 
19 


290  CALIFORNIA 

the  unfeigned  commotion  in  the  mind  of  the  trusty  Soto,  dis 
turbed  the  apparent  equanimity  of  the  king,  who  was  at  some 
pains  to  soothe  the  perturbation  of  his  friend,  and  then,  turn 
ing  about,  calmly  reminded  his  warriors,  who  in  full  force  were 
there  assembled,  that  not  only  considerable  valleys,  but  three 
ranges  of  mountains  intervened  between  the  approaching  host 
and  his  capital.  He  assured  them — proclaiming  the  fact  in 
words  so  loud  that  all  could  hear — that  however  numerous  the 
enemy  might  be,  and  even  though  they  outnumbered  the 
locusts,  they  could  be  checked  and  driven  back  by  his  little 
army  of  heroes,  who  had  never  yet  been,  and  never  could  be 
conquered.  Halting  here  for  breath,  in  the  middle  of  his 
speech,  a  great  shout  was  sent  up  on  that  calm  summer  night, 
from  his  two  thousand  men  -— ?uch  a  shout  as  was  never  before 
heard  in  that  place  and  probably  never  will  be  again. 

LXXVII. 

A  BATTLE  IN  THE  CLOUDS. 

EARLY  on  the  following  day  the  brave  Anglos  army, 
inspired  by  the  applause  of  all  the  women  of  the  city,  who  had 
come  forth  to  witness  and  encourage  the  movement,  conspicuous 
among  whom  was  the  tearful  Alola,  were  on  their  march  to 
intercept  the  enemy  at  the  first  of  the  ranges  of  mountains  to 
be  crossed  on  his  way,  from  the  place  where  last  seen,  in  com 
ing  towards  the  city  of  the  Anglos. 

Manuelo,  though  the  bravest  of  men,  could  not  summon  up 
courage  to  take  a  formal  leave  of  his  affectionate  wife.  Some 
how,  in  spite  of  himself,  fearful  forebodings  would  come  over 
his  mind  that  he  might  not  see  her  again,  and  he  dreaded  most 
lest  the  weakness  which  he  would  be  sure  to  exhibit  in  parting 
from  her  in  the  usual  way,  might  produce  an  unfavorable 
impression  upon  the  rninds  of  his  men.  With  illy  concealed 
emotions,  therefore,  he  hurried  off  to  the  head  of  his  forces, 


350  YEARS  AGO.  291 

and  from  there  anxiously  looked  back  upon  the  comely  form 
of  Alola,  again  and  again,  until  quite  out  of  sight  and  far  away 
on  the  plain. 

After  three  days  of  lively  marching,  and  early  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  fourth  day,  the  forces  of  Manuelo  took  possession 
of  the  only  two  known  passes  leading  over  the  third  range  of 
mountains  to  the  north  of  the  capital,  not  knowing  with 
certainty  which  of  them  would  be  assailed  by  the  combined 
forces  then  advancing.  Manuelo's  army,  though  small  at  best, 
in  comparison  with  the  one  opposed  to  him,  was  thus,  at  the 
start,  necessarily  divided.  But  his  men  were  judiciously 
apportioned  in  reference  to  the  strength  of  the  two  positions, 
some  fifteen  hundred  of  the  regulars,  with  the  reserves,  being 
posted  in  the  easier  of  the  passes,  and  only  five  hundred  in 
the  other  and  more  difficult  one. 

As  was  expected,  the  enemy  approached  the  lower  and 
broader  of  the  gaps,  the  one  where  Manuelo  himself  remained 
in  command,  the  stalwart  Warno  being  put  in  charge  of  the  five 
hundred  brave  men  who  were  sent  to  occupy  the  more  elevated 
of  the  passes.  Arranging  the  forces  under  his  immediate 
charge  in  the  best  possible  manner,  and  in  the  most  advanta 
geous  position  in  the  pass,  Manuelo  quietly  awaited  the 
onslaught,  which,  from  the  proximinity  of  the  enemy,  it  was 
apparent  could  not  be  long  delayed.  Before  the  warm  sum 
mer  sun  of  that  day  had  mounted  quite  to  the  zenith,  the 
main  body  of  the  Santos,  confiding  in  their  numbers,  advanced 
with  steady  steps,  coming  up  the  gentle  mountain  slope  in 
solid  phalanx,  ready  and  anxious  to  give  battle  on  any  terms, 
with  an  adversary  whom  they  regarded  as  despicably  small. 
But  Manuelo,  undismayed,  watched  their  every  movement 
from  an  elevated  position,  in  the  middle  of  the  pass,  and  when 
the  enemy,  in  large  force,  were  in  -easy  range,  he  ordered  his 
men  in  the  front  rank  to  discharge  their  light  weapons.  The 
invaders,  thus  greeted  with  a  perfect  shower  of  darts  and 


292  CALIFORNIA 

arrows  from  the  strong  bows  of  the  gallant  Anglos,  were  a  little 
nonplussed  at  first,  and  failed  to  respond  at  once  to  the  fire. 
Manuelo  seeing  their  hesitancy,  quickly  ordered  a  second  dis 
charge,  whereupon  the  foremost  men  in  the  advancing  columns, 
staggered  by  the  reception  given  them,  wavered  and  fell  back 
in  some  confusion.  But  they  were  supported  by  a  large  body 
of  Barbos,  and  the  charge  was  speedily  renewed  by  the  com 
bined  battalions  of  the  Santos  and  Barbos,  followed  up  by 
other  allies.  Urged  on  by  their  ablest  commanders,  the  enemy 
now  came  up  with  redoubled  determination,  and  a  terrible  con 
flict  ensued  in  that  high  mountain  gorge.  Fortunately  for  him, 
there  was  only  room  between  the  precipitous  hills  on  either 
hand  for  the  employment  of  just  so  many  men  on  Manuelo's 
side  as  he  had  in  his  command,  and  more,  had  he  possessed 
them,  would  have  been  useless,  unless  as  reserves.  So  the 
advantage  of  the  position  was  altogether  with  the  Anglos,  and 
the  combined  forces  of  the  enemy  were  stubbornly  held  at 
bay.  The  battle  was  maintained  long  and  desperately  on  both 
sides,  but  the  assailants,  finally,  after  suffering  fearful  slaughter, 
were  compelled  to  withdraw  from  the  carnage.  Crest-fallen 
and  dissappointed,  they  retired  to  the  plains  below,  whence  they 
had  but  lately  come.  Taking  with  them  their  wounded  and 
some  of  their  dead,  they  went  into  camp,  for  it  was  now  night. 

Manuelo's  army,  though  elated  with  their  success,  were  not  so 
thoughtless  as  to  be  drawn  from  their  position  by  pursuit  of  the 
retiring  foe,  but  remained  within  their  strong  entrenchments, 
hoping  that  the  allies  would  renew  their  rash  attempt  on  the 
following  day.  But  the  enemy  had  been  too  severely  chastised 
not  to  consider  well  of  the  matter  before  resuming  active  hos 
tilities.  They  were  advised  of  the  existence  of  the  other 
pass — the  one  occupied  by  Warno — but  had  ascertained  from 
their  scouts  that  it  also  was  well  guarded. 

All  the  next  day  was  spent  by  the  enemy  without  any  general 
movement,  apparently  in  consultation  among  themselves,  for  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  293 

ascertainment  of  some  more  practical  way  than  the  one  they 
had  undertaken,  of  continuing  on  the  course  towards  their  des 
tination.  But  the  day  by  them  was  not  wasted.  During  the 
forenoon  a  detachment  of  the  pilfering  Movos,  some  five  hun 
dred  strong,  were  observed  to  move  silently  off  from  their  camp 
in  an  easterly  direction,  as  if  towa  rds  their  homes,  and  were 
soon  lost  to  sight. 

On  the  next  day  the  second  one  after  the  first  battle  in  the 
clouds,  another  attempt  was  made  with  equal  vigor,  to  all  ap 
pearances,  to  effect  a  passage  of  the  mountain  on  the  same 
line  with  the  first.  The  fight  was  renewed  with  the  same  de 
termination  on  both  sides,  and  the  result  must  have  been  a 
repetition  of  what  occurred  on  the  former  occasion,  but  for  a 
piece  of  strategy  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  which  would  have 
done  credit  to  Scipio  himself.  While  the  combat  was  at  its 
height,  Manuelo  discovered  a  cloud  of  dust  rising  off  in  the 
valley  on  the  hither  side  of  the  range,  and  he  was  not  long  in 
determining  that  it  was  caused  by  a  body  of  the  enemy  who 
were  approaching  to  attack  him  in  the  rear.  The  fact  was  that 
the  five  hundred  Movos  who  left  the  camps  of  the  allies  the 
day  before,  had  gone  many  leagues  to  the  eastward,  and  during 
the  night,  by  forced  marches,  had  passed  through  the  mount 
ains  by  another  and  far-distant  opening,  known  to  themselves 
alone,  and  were  now  hastening  to  the  aid  of  their  friends. 
Observing  this  movement,  Manuelo  sent  word  concerning  it  by 
a  courier  to  Warno,  who  was  stationed  in  the  neighboring  pass, 
and  they  (Warno's  men)  at  once  rushed  down  to  intercept  and 
punish  this  band  of  Movos,  for  Manuelo  could  illy  spare  any  of 
his  own  fifteen  hundred,  every  man  of  whom,  together  with  his 
reserves,  was  required  in  the  great  struggle  with  the  main  body 
of  the  enemy.  Warno's  command,  which  had  not  yet  tasted 
battle,  and  who  were  anxious  for  the  fray,  speedily  fell  upon 
the  equal  force  of  the  Movos,  and  fairly  annihilated  them, 
scattering  to  the  four  winds  so  many  of  them  as  escaped 


294  CALIFORNIA 

death.  But  the  cunning  Barbos,  familiar  with  wild  mountain 
life,  were  watching  with  eagle  eyes  the  occurrences  from  their 
side  of  the  range,  and  seeing  the  higher  pass  vacated  by  Warno, 
themselves  hastily  took  possession  of  it  with  a  large  force  of 
light-armed  bowmen,  and  nearly  all  the  unemployed  reserves 
of  the-allied  armies  followed  at  once  in  that  direction. 

The  detachment  of  the  Anglos,  under  the  brave  Warno,  who 
had  been  chastising  the  Movos,  now  undertook  to  regain  their 
former  position  in  the  pass,  but  the  effort  was  in  vain.  They 
were  this  time  put  in  the  position  of  the  attacking  party,  and 
were  now  no  longer  on  the  defensive,  with  the  choice  of  the 
situations,  as  they  had  but  lately  been.  Besides,  their  numbers 
were  limited,  while  their  opponents  were  as  numerous  as 
the  locusts  and  like  locusts  were  constantly  increasing.  Warno 
and  his  followers  fought  with  the  desperation  of  lions,  and  were 
ready  to  sacrifice  themselves,  every  one,  but  it  was  of  no  use. 
They  were  contending  against  impossibilities. 

Seeing  the  desperate  situation  into  which  matters  were  thrown 
by  adverse  fate,  Manuelo  ordered  a  bold  final  dash  upon  the 
enemy  in  his  front,  and  put  them  to  flight,  whereupon  he  im 
mediately  withdrew  his  men  from  the  pass,  and  joining  the 
other  division  of  the  army  under  Warno,  on  the  plain  below, 
they  marched  together,  in  good  order,  across  the  intervening 
valley  towards  the  next  range  of  mountains. 

As  many  another  general  before  him,  so  now  Manuelo  had 
been  compelled  to  yield  to  the  force  of  numbers.  It  was  no 
worse  for  him  than  it  had  been  in  the  case  of  Pericles,  of 
ancient  fame,  nevertheless  it  was  exceedingly  galling  to  his 
pride.  For  the  first  time  now  had  he  been  worsted,  unless, 
indeed,  we  except  the  occasion,  long  past,  when  he  was  in  lead 
of  an  army  of  base  slaves  against  the  king  of  the  Modens  ;  but 
that,  it  is  thought,  ought  not  to  be  considered  as  a  military 
defeat  at  all,  for  was  not  he  the  only  brave  man  among  them  ? 
To  have  continued  the  fight  at  that  time  would  have  been  to 


350  YEARS  AGO.  295 

sacrifice  himself  to  no  purpose,  and  its  consequences  would 
have  been  most  disastrous,  since  it  would  have  deprived  the 
world  of  this  valuable  portion  of  its  history. 

Referring  to  Manuelo's  present  distressing  discomfiture, 
Father  Justino  could  not  but  remark  upon  what  a  slender  thread 
hangs  the  destiny  of  some  men.  How  precarious,  said  he,  are 
the  ways  of  Providence,  as  they  relate  to  persons  and  to  whole 
armies,  and  even  to  nations  and  to  the  races  of  mankind.  Out 
of  the  slightest  circumstance  sometimes  emanate  momentous 
events,  and  the  most  gigantic  preparations  of  men  are  often 
brought  unexpectedly  to  naught  by  the  merest  trifle.  Man  pro 
poses,  continued  the  good  friar,  but  God  disposes. 


LXXVIII. 

ANOTHER  STAND. 

ON  the  next  range  of  mountains,  through  which  there  seemed 
to  be  only  a  single  pass,  Manuelo  the  brave  took  his  stand, 
determined  there  to  defend  his  kingdom  against  the  ruthless 
invaders,  or  perish  gloriously  in  the  effort.  Every  precaution 
was  taken  by  him,  as  soon  as  possible,  in  the  way  of  posting 
his  men  and  in  fortifying  his  position.  A  succession  of  barri 
cades  of  brush  and  wood  and  stones  were  speedily  thrown  up 
across  the  road  by  which  the  enemy  must  approach.  Behind 
the  strongest  of  these,  and  near  the  summit,  his  little  army, 
now  somewhat  but  not  greatly  reduced,  was  stationed  to  await 
the  oncoming  of  the  allies,  who,  elated  with  their  late  triumph, 
must  have  been  impatient  of  delays.  Though  considerably 
crippled  by  the  stubborn  resistance  they  had  met  with,  and  now, 
in  consequence,  moving,  as  it  were,  upon  crutches,  the  enemy 
were  not  expected  to  tarry  long  in  the  valley  below,  although 
that  valley  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  attractive  ever 
beheld,  covered  as  it  was  with  a  thick  carpet  of  greensward, 
interspersed  with  flowers,  and  coursed  by  a  stream  of  bright, 


296  CALIFORNIA 

crystal  water,  bordered  with  a  thick  growth  of  umbrageous 
sycamores.  It  was  a  place  that  would  have  beguiled  a  more 
sentimental  people,  but  the  barbarous  allies  took  little  heed 
of  its  fascinations,  and  pushed  hopefully  on,  looking  only  to 
the  coarser  enjoyment  of  booty  and  beauty  in  the  capital  of 
their  enemy. 

News  of  the  discomfiture  of  the  Anglos  had  gone  back  with 
telegraphic  speed  to  the  city,  causing  the  greatest  possible  con 
sternation  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  fairly  wringing  with 
distress  the  poor  heart  of  Alola.  With  more  than  womanly 
discretion,  she  had  taken  it  upon  herself  to  organize  and  push 
forward  all  the  new  recruits  she  could  possibly  muster,  almost, 
as  it  seemed,  robbing  the  cradle  and  the  grave  to  supply  them. 
Old  and  young  alike  were  drafted  into  her  battalions,  and  such 
was  her  anxiety  on  her  husband's  account,  that  she  could  hardly 
be  dissuaded  from  taking  command  of  them  in  person,  and 
leading  them  against  her  former  friends,  for  she  knew  now  of 
a  certainty  that  the  enemy  were  none  other  than  the  powerful 
Santos. 

Alola  was  the  more  resolute  in  demanding  the  services  of 
the  old  and  infirm  of  her  subjects,  from  the  fact  of  her  having 
long  entertained  the  opinion  that  such  were  precisely  the  per 
sons  that  ought  always  to  be  sent  off  to  the  wars,  and  not  the 
hale  and  hearty.  She  reasoned,  that  if  any  persons  in  a  com 
munity  ought  to  run  the  risk  of  being  killed,  it  should  be,  not 
the  most  useful,  but  those,  rather,  whose  usefulness  on  earth 
had  nearly  ceased.  And  these,  she  maintained,  if  any,  ought 
to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  themselves  upon  the  altar  of  patriotism, 
since  they  can  be  of  service  to  their  country  in  no  other  way. 
The  sensible  little  woman  could  never  see  the  propriety  of 
exacting  military  duty  of  such  valuable  citizens  as  Manuelo,  to 
the  exclusion  of  persons  of  no  account  whatever  in  the  world; 
nor  could  she  be  persuaded  of  the  consistency  of  the  uniform 
practice  of  nations,  of  killing  off  in  wars  their  very  best  and 
most  vigorous  young  men,  while  the  infirm  and  the  useless  are 
permitted  to  go  free. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  297 

LXXIX. 

LOTO'S  STORY. 

SCARCELY  were  his  preparations  for  defense  in  this  mount 
ain  pass  completed,  when  Manuelo  was  surprised  and  mo 
mentarily  delighted  by  the  sudden  appearance  within  his  fortifi 
cations  of  the  other  one  of  his  faithful  heralds,  the  sharp-eyed 
Loto,  who  in  pursuance  of  instructions  had  actually  penetrated 
into  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  and  had  been  with  them  many 
days,  only  now  making  his  escape  to  report  to  his  master  what 
he  had  seen  and  heard. 

At  first  Loto  was  treated  by  the  Santos  as  a  spy,  and  nar 
rowly  escaped  execution  as  such,  but  by  the  practice  of  that 
native  astuteness  tor  which  he  was  distinguished,  he  won  upon 
the  confidence  of  the  leaders  in  the  enemy's  lines,  and  learned 
all  about  them  and  their  purposes.  His  story,  as  related  with 
trembling  lips  and  blanched,  to  the  impatient  Manuelo,  was 
that  Mosoto  on  his  first  flight  had  gone  directly  into  the  land 
of  the  Barbos,  and  had  given  that  people  a  complete  account  of 
Manuelo  and  his  young  wife,  both  of  whom,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  were  grossly  misrepresented  by  him.  Even  before  the 
expedition  of  the  Barbos,  in  which  Mosoto  lost  his  life,  it  is 
thought  that  information  may  have  been  conveyed  in  some  way 
to  the  nearest  villages  of  the  Santos,  touching  the  whereabouts 
of  Manuelo  and  his  bride.  But  whether  this  be  so  or  not, 
certain  it  is  that  the  Barbos,  on  their  return  from  that  war, 
were  not  long  in  dispatching  a  delegation  of  their  shrewdest 
and  most  influential  men,  including  their  head  prophet,  to  visit 
the  capital  of  the  Santos,  and  lay  before  the  authorities  of  that 
people  a  full  account  of  this  strange  personage,  for  s,uch  Man 
uelo  was  to  them,  and  to  take  counsel  of  that  great  nation  as  to 
what  should  be  done,  or  undertaken,  to  quell  his  extraordinary 
and  growing  power. 

From  their  own  sad  experience  with  him  in  arms,  no  less 


298  CALIFORNIA 

than  from  the  description  given  of  him  by  the  wicked  Mosoto, 
the  Barbos  looked  upon  Manuelo  as  an  exceedingly  dangerous 
character,  and  that  opinion  had  been  intensified  by  the  remarka 
bly  suspicious  circumstances  attending  his  first  appearance  as 
an  entire  stranger  among  them  in  company  with  a  young  and 
beautiful  woman.  They  had  long  since  detected  the  falsehood 
of  his  account  of  himself  on  that  occasion,  and  they  would  have 
placed  no  confidence  thereafter  in  anything  he  might  have  said 
or  done. 

The  delegation  of  suspicious  Barbos  on  arriving  at  the 
Santos'  capital,  found  to  their  no  little  astonishment  that  both 
Manuelo  and  his  interesting  companion  were  but  too  well 
known  to  that  people.  The  swift  Santos  were  of  course  greatly 
surprised  to  learn  all  then  told  them  about  the  fugitives,  whom 
they  supposed  to  be  dead,  but  their  astonishment  knew  no 
bounds  when  assured  that  Manuelo  had  actually  become  the 
king  of  a  considerable  nation  known  as  the  Anglos,  and  that  his 
interesting  little  wife,  their  former  princess,  was  queen  of 
the  same.  They  had  been  constrained  to  believe  originally 
that  both  Manuelo  and  Alola  had  been  drowned  in  the  Bay. 
This  fact  they  inferred  from  finding  shortly  afterwards  the 
canoe  in  which  the  pair  had  departed,  floating  empty  upon 
the  watery  waste.  It  had  been  driven  back  across  the  Bay  by 
adverse  winds,  and  all  signs  pointed  ominously  towards  the 
conclusion  that  its  late  occupants  had  perished. 

Alola,  in  particular,  was  long  and  sorrowfully  bewailed  as  one 
dead  and  never  to  be  heard  of  again.  The  then  impending 
Feast  of  Flowers,  which  was  to  have  been  made  especially  joy 
ful  by  her  marriage  with  the  gallant  son  of  the  old  high  priest 
Pokee,  instead  of  being  an  occasion  of  gladness,  was  turned  by 
her  untoward  absence  into  one  of  the  deepest  sorrow,  and  so 
severe  was  the  bereavement  to  her  father,  the  great  chief,  that' 
he  pined  away,  and  the  very  next  year  died  of  grief.  The 
young  and  stalwart  Gosee,  the  intended  bridegroom,  was  duly 


350  YEARS  AGO.  299 

elected  king  in  the  place  of  the  deceased  lather  of  his  betrothed. 
This  event  was  not  at  all  inconsistent  with  the  character  and 
standing  of  the  man,  but  it  is  believed  that  sympathy  for  the 
young  brave  on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  intended  (as  was 
supposed,  for  no  one  knew  that  he  had  been  jilted)  may  have 
had  something  to  do  with  his  choice  as  king.  But  on  this 
point  the  evidence,  from  the  very  nature  of  things,  is  uncertain, 
and  the  suggestion  must  be  regarded  as  resting  largely  upon  the 
naked  surmise  of  Justino,  for  it  cannot  be  shown  at  this  late 
day,  that  any  of  Gosee's  supporters  were  influenced  by  such  in 
adequate  motives.  But  surmises,  with  no  better  basis,  even  in 
matters  of  history,  are  often  as  reliable  as  positive  statements, 
which  are  falsely  claimed  to  be  founded  in  facts.  Be  all  this 
as  it  may,  it  is  sufficient  for  our  purpose  to  say  that  Gosee  had 
been  elected  the  successor  of  Bear-Slayer,  and  was  king  of  the 
great  Santos  nation  when  their  capital  was  visited  by  the  afore 
said  Barbos  delegation.  And  when  the  young  king  became 
fully  convinced  by  the  representations  of  that  delegation,  of  the 
treachery  of  Manuelo,  and  of  the  infidelity  to  himself  of  Alola, 
his  rage  arose  to  a  towering  height,  and  he  resolved  on  ven 
geance,  cost  what  it  might.  The  cunning  Barbos  embassadors 
having  accomplished  their  purpose,  returned  to  their  own  coun 
try  satisfied. 

A  system  of  secret  inquiry  was  promptly  set  on  foot  by  the 
vindictive  Gosee,  extending  throughout  all  the  nations  and 
tribes  to  the  southward  of  his  dominions,  and  these  were  carried 
on  for  a  year  or  two  with  the  greatest  diligence,  in  order  that 
he  might  learn  all  about  Manuelo  and  his  people.  Spies  had 
even  been  sent  into  the  Anglos  country,  but  their  object  had 
never  been  so  much  as  suspected  by  that  generous  and  confid 
ing  people.  All  this  investigation  was  conducted  with  so 
much  caution  by  the  king  of  the  Santos  and  his  faithful  sub 
jects,  that  it  never  came  to  the  ears  of  Manuelo  at  all,  who,  in 
the  meantime  was  enjoying,  in  conscious  security,  his  ease  and 


300  CALIFORNIA 

dignity  in  his  own  kingdom.  Not  a  soul  among  the  Anglos  had 
the  least  apprehension  of  the  terrible  conspiracy  that  was 
being,  in  that  cruel  manner,  hatched  up  against  them. 

The  emissaries  of  Gosee  found  willing  listeners  among  the 
Movos  as  well  as  among  the  more  intelligent  Barbos,  and  both 
these  nations,  moved  by  a  spirit  of  revenge  for  past  discomfitures, 
were  but  too  willing  to  unite  their  strength  with  that  of  their 
more  formidable  neighbor  at  the  north,  to  crush  out,  if  possible, 
the  power  of  the  mysterious  white  king  of  the  Anglos.  The  full 
est  preparations  having  been  made  by  these  three  nations,  and 
all  being  in  readiness  for  an  aggressive  movement,  the  great 
army  of  the  Santos,  under  the  skillful  leadership  of  the  ambitious 
Gosee,  set  out  on  its  march.  On  his  southern  border  Gosee  was 
joined,  in  pursuance  of  previous  arrangements,  by  large  forces 
of  the  Movos  and  kindred  tribes,  and  by  the  Barbos>  and  the 
march  of  the  allied  powers  was  continued  towards  the  capital 
of  the  unsuspecting  Anglos,  as  the  good  reader  has  been 
already  informed. 

This  intelligent  report  of  the  hawk-eyed  Loto  caused  Man- 
uelo  inwardly  to  tremble,  but  he  was  not  the  person  to  exhibit 
evidences  of  fear  to  his  confiding  soldiery,  and  he  kept  up,  as 
best  he  might,  all  the  outward  appearances  of  unfaltering 
courage.  He  now  knew  for  a  certainty  the  full  nature  of  the 
enemy  he  had  to  contend  against,  and  he  felt  a  little  relieved 
from  suspense,  though  not  at  all  encouraged  for  the  future. 
He  was  fully  aware  that  the  leader  of  the  opposing  forces,  the 
disappointed  and  jilted  Gosee,  would  be  unmerciful  towards 
him  and  Alola,  and  he  prepared  his  mind  for  the  worst  that 
could  possibly  happen,  resolving  within  himself  to  sell  his  life 
for  the  very  highest  price  he  could  obtain  for  it,  and  it  appeared 
to  him,  just  then,  that  the  market  was,  so  to  speak,  exceedingly 
favorable  to  a  satisfactory  disposition  of  the  same. 

A  smaller  army  than  his  own,  he  remembered,  had  stayed  a 


350  YEARS  AGO.  301 

much  larger  force  of  armed  men  than  that  which  was  being 
led  against  him,  at  the  Pass  of  Thermopylae,  and  the  pass  he 
was  now  holding  was  believed  to  be  as  favorable,  at  least  for 
defense,  as  the  one  mentioned  in  Greek  history.  Nor  did  he 
forget  that  Leonidas  and  all  his  little  Spartan  band  had  perished 
in  the  noble  struggle  in  which  they  were  engaged.  But  it  was 
for  his  beloved  Alola  that  he  feared  the  most,  and  he  could  but 
shudder  whenever  the  thought  came  over  him,  as  it  would  at 
times,  of  that  tender  creature's  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
revengeful  Gosee.  The  more  he  pondered  upon  this  matter 
the  more  he  thirsted  for  the  blood  of  her  tormentor,  and  he 
longed  for  an  opportunity  to  meet  him  in  single  combat.  He 
would  gladly  have  settled  the  whole  dispute  in  that  way,  but 
such,  alas  !  was  not  the  custom  of  those  times,  nor  in  that 
country. 

Manuelo  likened  his  enemy  to  the  mighty  Attila,  who,  at  the 
head  of  an  innumerable  throng  of  barbarous  Hungarians, 
Scythians,  and  Germans,  swept  down  upon  the  plains  of  Italy, 
carrying  devastation  wherever  they  went ;  and  as  Attila  was 
compelled  at  the  great  battle  of  Chalons  to  retreat,  so  Man 
uelo  hoped  to  drive  back  this  latter-day  Hun,  the  bloody 
Gosee,  with  all  his  wicked  allies.  But  when  again  he  remem 
bered  the  fate  of  the  Emperor  Theodosius,  who  finally  fell, 
cruelly  murdered  by  the  sword  of  the  conqueror,  he  could 
scarcely  suppress  a  feeling  of  horror  at  his  own  possible  fate, 
and  that  of  his  ever-affectionate  wife. 

In  spite  of  himself,  Manuelo  was  haunted  by  these  appre 
hensions,  from  the  time  he  learned  from  his  faithful  Loto  that  it 
was  certainly  his  old  rival  who  was  so  stubbornly  opposing  him, 
and  his  mortification  at  being  once  beaten  was  much  the 
more  poignant  on  account  of  its  having  been  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  such  a  person.  It  is  proper  enough,  right  here,  to 
soothe  the  anxious  mind  of  the  reader  by  stating  that  things 


302  CALIFORNIA 

did  not  turn  out  quite  so  badly  as  Manuelo  apprehended,  else 
how  could  he  have  given  Justino  an  account  of  the  battle? 
But  then  they  did  turn  out  badly  enough,  in  all  conscience,  as 
will  be  seen,  if  the  reader  will  but  carefully  peruse  the  next 
chapter. 

LXXX. 

ANOTHER  FIGHT  AND  DEFEAT. 

THERE  was  now  no  time  for  vain  laments.  The  enemy 
that  had  given  Manuelo  so  much  trouble  was  still  before  him, 
and  flushed  with  victory.  It  stood  the  Anglos  general  in  hand 
to  re-inspire  his  men  with  confidence,  or  all  would  certainly  be 
lost.  Fortunately  they,  as  well  as  he,  could  see  the  strategy  by 
which  they  had  been  driven  back  from  their  last  stronghold, 
and  they  could  see,  as  plainly  as  he,  that  the  disaster  they  had 
suffered  on  the  other  mountain  was  owing  to  no  fault  of  their 
commander- in-chief,  but  was  the  result  of  the  overweening 
anxiety  of  the  men  in  the  smaller  subdivision  of  the  army, 
under  Warno,  to  take  part  in  the  fight,  and  to  chastise  the 
circumventing  band  of  treacherous  Movos.  It  was  this  unfort 
unate  zeal  that  led  to  leaving  exposed  the  second  pass  in  the 
first  range,  thus  compelling  the  retreat  of  the  whole  Anglos 
army.  Similar  tactics  on  the  part  of  the  allies  did  not  seem 
likely  to  be  practiced  successfully  a  second  time,  for  the  cir 
cumstances  were  now  somewhat  different,  and  the  courage  of 
the  men,  and  their  confidence  in  their  leader,  were  not  very 
greatly  impaired. 

By  the  direction  of  Manuelo,  the  forces  under  him  were 
arranged  in  the  best  possible  manner,  the  spearmen  occupying 
the  front  ranks,  and  in  their  rear,  but  on  more  elevated  ground, 
were  stationed  the  bowmen,  in  lines  three  deep.  The  curious 
body  of  recruits,  pushed  forward  by  Alola,  arrived  just  in  time 


350  YEARS  AGO.  303 

to  receive  orders  before  the  battle  began,  and  were  stationed 
in  a  secure  place  in  the  pass,  out  of  reach  of  the  enemy's 
weapons,  but  where  they  would  be  convenient  as  reserves,  to 
render  what  assistance  they  might  in  case  of  an  emergency. 

The  main  body  of  the  little  army  being  posted  behind  breast 
works,  were  positively  ordered  to  withhold  their  fire  until  the 
invaders  approached  within  close  range,  and  by  no  means  to 
deliver  battle  until  the  enemy  had  discharged  his  first  volley  of 
missiles,  many  of  which  it  was  known  would  find  lodgment 
within  the  defensive  works  of  the  Anglos.  These  orders  of 
Manuelo  were  obeyed  by  his  men  to  the  letter,  and  the  proud 
advancing  foe.  not  this  time  with  the  swift-footed  Santos  in  the 
van,  but  led  on  by  their  relentless  allies,  the  Movos  and  Bar- 
bos,  pressed  forward  up  the  steep  mountain-side,  overcoming 
the  first  obstacles  with  ease.  The  exulting  enemy  came  on  this 
time  in  more  solid  columns  than  before,  and  apparently  with 
more  determination,  though  it  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  one 
detachment  of  the  Movos,  a  sort  of  vanguard,  anticipating  their 
fate,  halted  several  times,  and  had  to  be  rallied  most  vigorously 
by  their  officers.  The  enemy  finally  approaching,  with  some 
enthusiasm,  almost  to  the  ramparts  of  the  Anglos,  discharged 
their  first  volley  of  arrows  and  javelins,  but  with  no  great  effect, 
when  Manuelo's  men,  in  turn,  opened  upon  them  with  a  perfect 
cloud  of  spears  and  arrows,  all  at  the  same  moment.  The 
enemy  went  down  before  this  discharge  like  a  row  of  bricks, 
which,  set  upon  end,  and  leaning  one  against  another,  the  first 
being  displaced,  the  whole  string  of  them  tumble  in  quick  suc 
cession.  The  head  of  their  column  was  staggered,  and  as 
many  of  them  as  remained  on  their  feet  would  inevitably  have 
fallen  back  precipitately  down  the  pass,  but  the  cunning  Gosee, 
having  anticipated  the  possible  cowardice  of  his  allies,  had  kept 
in  their  rear  with  his  whole  Santos  army,  prepared  to  force  his 
alien  cohorts  up  to  their  work.  Thus  prevented  from  retreat 
ing,  the  enemy's  assaults  upon  the  Anglos'  strong  position  were 


304  CALIFORNIA 

renewed  again  and  again,  and  every  time  with  the  same  result. 
Li  the  meanwhile,  the  great  body  of  Gosee's  army,  inspired  by 
the  loud  exhortations  of  their  commander,  were  crowding  close 
up  to  the  lines  of  the  Anglos,  and  were  fast  becoming  a  dense 
and  impenetrable  mass.  Several  ineffectual  attempts  had  been 
made  to  effect  a  breach  in  Manuelo's  fortifications,  but  they 
were  promptly  repelled,  with  loss  to  the  assailants.  But  now 
the  spears  and  javelins  of  the  brave  Anglos  having  become 
exhausted,  and  their  arrows  nearly  so,  they  were  compelled,  as 
a  last  resort,  and  at  greater  risk  to  themselves,  to  seize  and 
return  the  weapons  of  their  adversaries.  The  fight,  under  these 
circumstances,  was  wholly  unequal,  with  the  advantage  on  the 
side  of  the  allied  enemy. 

In  this  emergency  the  raw  Anglos  recruits,  furnished  by 
Alola,  were  ordered  to  the  front,  and  they  came  forward  with  a 
fearful  yell  of  discordant  voices,  old  men  and  boys  mingling 
their  cries  in  the  general  shout.  If  these  were  not  as  stalwart 
as  soldiers  usually  are,  they  were,  to  say  the  least,  sufficiently 
armed,  and  they  promptly  lent  a  portion  of  their  weapons  to 
their  veteran  confreres,  who  were  quite  as  anxious  to  use,  as  to 
get  them.  This  timely  assistance  to  Manuelo's  little  army,  fur 
nished  by  the  remarkable  foresight  of  a  woman,  was  indispensa 
ble  at  the  time,  and  came  not  a  moment  too  soon. 

The  battle  was  now  more  desperate  than  ever.  It  was 
waged  with  unheard-of  determination,  all  along  the  line,  which 
stretched  quite  across  the  pass,  from  side  to  side,  and  the  vic 
tory  seemed  to  hang  in  the  balance,  so  to  speak,  for  a  long 
time.  But  just  now,  and  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight,  the  athletic 
and  swift-footed  Gosee  appeared,  'with  his  tall  plume,  upon  the 
scene,  rallying  his  well-disciplined  and  trusty  Santos  for  a  final 
charge.  With  stentorian  voice  he  called  upon  his  friends  to 
follow,  himself  leading  the  assault.  In  an  instant  the  breast 
works  were  broken  down  on  the  left  and  right,  and  Gosee,  in 
person,  with  one  grand  bound,  made  a  breach  in  the  center. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  305 

An  immense  number  of  his  men  quickly  followed,  and  in  an 
instant  hosts  of  them  were  inside  of  the  Anglos'  works.  There 
they  were  promptly  met  by  its  brave  defenders,  and  in  less  than 
a  quarter  of  the  time  that  it  takes  to  relate  the  facts,  the  con 
test  assumed  the  form  of  a  hand-to-hand  struggle.  Manuelo, 
with  a  voice  that  was  heard  above  the  din,  exhorted  his  band 
of  heroes  to  still  greater  exertions,  and  they  fought  with  the 
desperation  of  tigers  at  bay.  But  numbers  will  always  tell  in 
the  long  run,  and  the  Anglos  were  finally  overpowered.  Man 
uelo  himself  was  hastening  to  confront  with  his  own  weapons 
the  powerful  Gosee,  when  unfortunately,  stepping  upon  a 
smooth  rock,  that  lay  there  wet  with  blood,  he  slipped  and  fell. 
No  sooner  did  his  men  see  their  leader  prostrate  than,  sup 
posing  his  fall  to  have  resulted  from  an  enemy's  spear,  they 
beat  a  retreat.  As  when  some  huge  bull,  invincible  to  ordinary 
foes,  is  attacked  by  a  whole  swarm  of  bees  whose  hive  is  un 
luckily  overturned  by  the  proud  monster,  is  powerless  to  resist, 
and  from  necessity  is  compelled  to  retreat,  and  who  with  head 
in  air  and  loudly  bellowing,  hastens  away,  pursued  by  the  buz 
zing  throng,  so  the  noble  band  of  Anglos,  forced  by  the  multi 
tude  of  the  enemy  to  flight,  made  off  from  the  field.  The  day 
was  lost.  The  allies  were  victorious,  and  Manuelo  was  a 
prisoner.  He  regretted,  at  the  time,  though  not  subsequently, 
that  he  had  not  been  slain  then  and  there. 

The  allies  quickly  made  their  way  through  the  now  unob 
structed  pass,  and  poured  down,  still  in  countless  numbers,  upon 
the  valley  below.  The  shattered  forces  of  the  Anglos,  in  con 
fused  and  unequal  detachments,  made  the  best  of  their  way, 
in  hot  haste,  towards  the  near  and  only  remaining  range  of 
mountains  intervening  between  their  homes  and  the  hosts  of 
the  enemy,  intending  as  they  went  to  make  one  more  and  a 
final  stand  before  surrendering  all. 

Early  the  next  day  most  of  the  Anglos,  assembled  upon  this 
last  mountain  height,  were  prepared  in  mind  for  any  exertion 
"20 


306  CALIFORNIA 

that  might  be  required  of  them,  but,  alas !  they  were  now  with 
out  a  leader.  Even  Warno  had  been  killed  or  captured,  they 
knew  not  which,  nor  did  it  make  any  difference  to  them  just 
then,  since  he  was  not  there  to  advise  and  assist  in  their  present 
dire  emergency.  Like  Manuelo,  he  had  been  left  behind,  and 
the  fate  of  both  remained  a  mystery  for  some  time. 

The  passage  of  this  last  range,  the  lowest  of  the  three,  was 
much  more  difficult  of  defense  than  either  of  the  others  had 
been,  and  consequently  the  brave  Anglos  were  vastly  more  in 
need  of  a  directing  spirit  than  they  had  been  on  the  former 
occasions.  Nevertheless,  they  hastily  completed  such  prepara 
tions  as  they  were  able  to  make  in  the  brief  time  allotted  them 
in  order  to  dispute  the  passage  of  this  mountain  with  an  enemy, 
elated  with  successive  triumphs,  hurrying  forward,  confident 
now  of  his  ability  to  achieve  another  and  any  number  of  vic 
tories. 

Gosee,  however,  was  too  good  a  general  to  incur  the  danger 
of  an  unnecessary  sacrifice  of  his  men,  and  accordingly  he 
deployed  a  portion  of  his  forces  to  the  right,  and  another  por 
tion  to  the  left,  sending  them  up  and  down  the  valley  to  find 
other  passes  in  the  range,  with  directions  to  them  to  push  over, 
however  precipitous  the  ascent,  and  to  attack  the  Anglos  occu 
pying  the  pass  in  the  rear,  while  he,  with  the  main  army  in 
hand,  was  to  advance  :n  a  direct  line  and  force  his  adversary 
to  extremes.  His  plans  were  readily  understood  by  the  intelli 
gent  Anglos,  who  were  especially  familiar  with  this  range  of 
mountains,  and  they  acted  accordingly.  Leaving  a  small  force 
of  their  best  men  in  ambush,  as  it  were,  merely  to  check  the 
onward  march  of  the  enemy,  the  main  body  retired  reluctantly 
to  the  city.  The  news  of  the  second  great  disaster  to  the 
Anglos  had  preceded  them,  by  several  hours,  and  the  proud 
capital  on  their  arrival  was  found  in  the  greatest  possible  com 
motion. 

About  the  only  persons  who  had  been  left  at  home  were  the 


350  YEARS  AGO.  307 

women  and  children,  and  they  were  all  alarmed  beyond  expres 
sion.  There  was  weeping,  and  wailing,  and  wringing  of  hands, 
as  each  fond  wife,  mother,  sister,  or  daughter,  inquired  of  the 
returning  soldiers  touching  the  fate  of  her  husband,  son, 
brother,  or  father.  Yes,  and  there  were  anxious  inquiries  about 
the  old  grandfathers  and  the  little  boys  whom  Alola  had  sent 
to  the  front  in  the  desperate  emergency.  But  the  bereaved 
would  have  been  more  numerous  had  the  Anglos  army  been 
less  ably  commanded  than  it  was.  And  besides,  being  better 
acquainted  with  the  country,  many  more  of  them  escaped,  and 
presently  made  their  appearance  in  the  city,  than  could  reason 
ably  have  been  expected.  The  return  of  each  one,  whose  ab 
sence  at  first  led  to  the  belief  that  he  had  been  slain,  was  the 
signal  for  rejoicing  among  his  friends,  and  there  was  some  little 
merriment  amidst  the  general  gloom.  But  as  night  approached, 
thick  clouds  of  impenetrable  darkness  seemed  to  hover  over 
that  doomed  city  like  birds  of  evil  omen.  Its  army  was  broken 
into  fragments,  and  no  longer  of  much  use.  Its  king  and 
guiding  spirit  was  absent — either  slain  or  captured.  A  numer 
ous,  angry  and  ruthless  enemy  was  at  its  very  gates,  and  Justino 
was  entirely  correct  when  he  said  there  was  very  little  left  upon 
which  to  hang  a  hope,  if  indeed  hope  was  not  already  sus 
pended. 

LXXXI. 

THE  CITY  ABANDONED. 

A  SORROWFUL  time  indeed  had  now  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
the  Anglos,  who  but  yesterday,  so  to  speak,  were  so  very  happy. 
From  an  exalted  state  of  prosperity  they  were  precipitated  into 
the  darkest  abyss  of  despair.  As  on  some  bright  summer  after 
noon  a  black  cloud  suddenly  appearing  in  the  western  horizon, 
quickly  overspreads  the  whole  heavens,  amidst  lightning  flashes 
and  peals  of  thunder,  deluging  the  earth  with  rain,  compelling 


308  CALIFORNIA 

husbandmen,  in  great  haste,  to  save  their  property  from  the 
destructive  floods,  so  the  sudden  advent  in  their  territory  of 
the  allied  enemy  caused  the  Anglos  to  bestir  themselves  and 
now  to  flee  for  their  lives.  A  severe  earthquake  shock,  over 
whelming  their  city  in  general  ruin,  could  hardly  have  been 
more  surprising.  Their  country  was  overrun  by  hostile  feet; 
their  beloved  chief  was,  they  knew  not  where,  nor  whether  dead 
or  alive;  their  capital  was  about  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  a 
powerful  and  unrelenting  enemy,  and  there  was  apparently  no 
relief  from  the  impending  catastrophe,  and  no  power  to  stem, 
even  for  a  brief  time,  the  fast  inrolling  tide  of  misery. 

If  there  was  one  single  circumstance  wanting  to  make  their 
distress  complete,  it  was  that  the  Dagos  were  not  engaged  with 
their  other  adversaries  in  the  general  work  of  devastation. 
This  small  shadow  of  comfort  was  left  to  this  distressed  people  in 
the  midst  of  all  their  sorrow.  But  it  was  no  merit  of  the 
Dagos  that  they  were  not  so  employed.  That  revengeful  tribe 
would  have  been  but  too  glad  to  participate  in  the  indiscrimi 
nate  plunder  of  the  rich  Anglos  homes,  had  they,  like  the 
Movos,  been  invited  to  do  so.  But  fortunately,  they  were  not. 
On  account  of  their  remoteness  from  the  land  of  the  Santos, 
and  not  by  reason  of  any  want  of  inclination  on  their  part, 
they  were  left  out  of  the  calculation  when  the  war  was  begun. 
In  truth,  up  to  this  time,  and  for  some  period  afterwards,  the 
Dagos  rested  in  profound  ignorance  of  these  hostilities,  and  of 
the  great  disaster  that  had  befallen  their  neighbors  at  the  north, 
so  completely  had  communication  between  the  two  peoples 
been  broken  off. 

The  flood  of  consternation  in  the  doomed  city  was  aug 
mented  by  the  return  of  individuals  and  straggling  parties 
from  the  front.  Members  of  the  brave  little  army,  some  alone, 
and  others  in  squads,  some  wounded  and  others  not,  but  all 
tired  and  foot-sore,  kept  coming  in  as  the  night  waned,  until  at 
last  the  excitement  arose  to  such  a  pitch  that  it  can  better  be 


350  YEARS  AGO.  309 

imagined  than  described.  In  fact,  an  adequate  account  of  it 
would  be  impossible,  and  Father  Justino  has  wisely  omitted 
the  attempt,  concluding,  doubtless,  that  any  effort  he  might 
make  in  that  direction  would  result  in  disastrous  failure. 

But  amidst  all  that  was  transpiring  on  that  momentous  oc 
casion,  there  was  one  cool-headed  person ;  one  who  appeared 
to  be  equal  to  the  emergency,  and  whose  judgment  was  no  less 
clear  in  storms  than  in  sunshine,  and  that  person  was- the  gentle 
Alola.  In  the  absence  of  her  husband,  all  responsibility  was 
resting  upon  her  delicate  shoulders,  and  she  felt  the  full  weight 
of  that  responsibility.  She  was,  in  this  terrible  emergency, 
wrought  up  by  a  keen  sense  of  the  obligation  of  herself  and 
Manuelo  to  that  good  people,  to  the  exercise  of  more  than 
masculine  fortitude,  and  her  remarkable  strength  of  purpose 
and  goodness  of  heart  never  shone  forth  with  such  brilliancy 
as  on  that  most  trying  occasion.  She,  at  least,  wasted  no  time 
in  vain  lamentations.  Though  having  infinitely  more  reason 
to  be  sorrowful  than  any  other  person  in  the  city,  she,  among 
them  all,  displayed  the  least  weakness. 

Without  waiting  for  the  return  of  all  the  men  who  had  gone 
to  the  war — and,  indeed,  to  have  waited  for  alt  would  have 
been  to  wait  to  all  eternity— but  what  Justino  intended  to  say 
was  that  Alola,  without  waiting  for  the  return  of  all  the  soldiers 
of  the  Anglos  that  had  been  spared  by  the  weapons  of  the 
cruel  enemy,  ordered  every  preparation  to  be  made,  as  speedily 
as  possible,  for  abandoning  the  place.  She  caused  to  be  packed, 
in  convenient  form  for  transportation,  everything  that  would  be 
most  useful  in  the  flight,  and  all  that  could  be  borne  away  by  her 
people;  and  that  which  might  be  at  all  serviceable  to  the  enemy, 
she  ordered  to  be  destroyed.  When,  early  the  next  morning, 
all  was  in  readiness,  and  every  man,  woman,  and  child  supplied 
with  as  many  of  the  necessaries  of  life  as  he,  she,  or  it  could 
carry,  the  whole  population,  bearing  with  them,  so  to  say,  their 
lares  and  penates,  with  many  loud  lamentations  and  floods  of 


310  CALIFORNIA 

tears,  bade  farewell  to  their  pleasant  homes,  and  filing  out  of 
the  western  exit  of  the  city  in  groups  of  families,  and  detach 
ments,  the  strong  helping  the  weak  and  infirm,  but  none  far 
sundered  from  others,  they  entered  upon  their  distressful  line  of 
march  towards  the  sea-shore.  Longer  delay  was  impracticable, 
for  the  combined  army  of  the  enemy,  though  not  yet  in  sight, 
could  not  be  far  away,  and  the  van-guard  might,  in  a  few  hours, 
burst  upon  the  plain,  and  soon  thereafter  arrive  in  the  suburbs. 
Similarly  sad  experiences,  peradventure,  had  been  the  lot  of 
cities  before  that  time;  but  never,  in  all  history,  had  a  people 
greater  occasion  to  bewail  a  sorrowful  fate.  In  the  rear  of  the 
long  procession,  surrounded  by  a  little  band  of  faithful  soldiers, 
was  the  queen  herself,  she  being  the  last  to  leave  the  doomed 
capital.  This  had  been  the  scene  of  her  greatest  triumphs. 
There  had  she  enjoyed  a  measure  of  happiness  that  had  fallen 
to  the  lot  of  but  few  of  her  sex,  and  she  thought  it  befitting 
that  she  should  be  the  one  to  bid  final  adieu  to  those  scenes. 
In  doing  so  the  poor  woman  could  not  conceal  her  emotion. 
'Overwhelmed  with  sadness,  she  lingered  long  in  the  beautiful 
apartments  of  herself  "and  her  lord,  and  there,  alone,  for  some 
moments  gave  vent  to  her  grief  in  copious  tears  and  loud 
lamentations.  Thus  within  her  own  doors  occurred  the  most 
heart-rending  event  of  that  terrible  day.  Summoning  cour 
age  at  last,  and  banishing  her  tears,  she  followed  the  silent  pro 
cession  of  her  people,  and  in  a  few  hours  they  were  all  beside 
the  great  ocean,  which,  in  its  boundlessness  and  depth,  it  is 
thought,  might  furnish  some  slight  illustration  of  the  sorrow 
and  sadness  of  the  Anglos.  Continuing  along  its  shores,  they 
made  but  a  few  leagues  the  first  day,  for  the  march  was  encum 
bered  at  the  same  time  with  small  children  and  large  supplies, 
and  their  progress  was  necessarily  slow.  The  whole  retinue 
camped  by  the  sea  the  first  night,  and  the  grief  of  the  people 
was  soothed,  in  some  measure,  by  the  gentle  music  of  the 
breakers.  The  second  day  the  march  was  continued  by  the 
ocean-side,  and  likewise  the  third. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  311 

LXXXII. 

THE  PENINSULA. 

EARLY  in  the  fourth  day  of  the  hegira,  the  fleeing  Anglos, 
already  weary  with  the  march,  and  some  of  the  more  infirm 
ready  to  give  up  in  despair,  came  in  sight  of  a  curious  geo 
graphical  formation.  It  was  a  peninsula  extending  far  out  into 
the  sea  and  connecting  with  the  main-land  by  a  narrow  isthmus. 
At  a  considerable  distance  from  the  principal  shore .  the 
peninsula  widened  out  into  a  broad  area,  which  could  be 
approached  only  by  persons  passing  in  single  file  over  the 
rocky  neck.  Alola  in  an  instant  saw  the  advantage  of  this 
position,  and  without  much  delay  marched  her  people  onto  the 
peninsula,  the  women  and  children  proceeding  with  great 
caution  lest  they  should  tumble  into  the  deep  on  either  side. 
This  peninsula  being  a  broad  and  beautiful  table-land,  or 
mesa,  as  written  in  the  original,  was  supplied  with  wells  of 
water,  from  which  the  sharp-eyed  Alola  observed  it  had  been 
occupied  before,  and  she  concluded  that  it  had,  in  past  times 
been  the  resort  of  some  people  similarly  circumstanced,  but 
concerning  such  use  of  it  even  the  oldest  men  among  her  sub 
jects  knew  nothing.* 

In  pursuance  of  orders  the  camps  were  pitched  on  this 
stronghold,  and-the  sacred  fires  were  lighted  upon  an  altar  hastily 
erected  of  rough  stones.  With  but  little  delay,  thanks  were 

*It  has  been  ascertained  on  diligent  inquiry  that  no  such  geographical 
formation  exists  at  the  present  day,  or,  at  least,  none  can  be  found  any 
where  along  the  southern  coast  of  California;  but  that  matters  not,  nor 
does  it  discredit  the  story  in  the  least ;  since  without  doubt  the  waves  and 
earthquakes  of  these  last  three  hundred  and  fifty  years,  have  broken  down 
and  removed  the  isthmus,  or  narrow  neck,  entirely,  and  what  was  once  a 
paene  insnla,  is  now  tota  insiila,  or  a  complete  island,  which  is  there  still; 
and  what  is  conclusive  of  the  question,  it  is  in  the  same  location  exactly 
as  when  visited  by  the  queen  of  the  Anglos,  in  the  early  part  of  the 
sixteenth  century. 


312  CALIFORNIA 

offered  up  by  the  high  priest  to  the  sun  and  moon,  and  what 
ever  lesser  deities  and  saints  belonged  to  the  calendar  of  the 
pious  Anglos,  for  this  their  apparently  providential  deliverance 
from  wicked  enemies. 

A  sufficient  guard  was  then  stationed  at  the  isthmus  to  pre 
vent  any  encroachments,  and  the  good  queen  and  all  her  weary 
followers,  feeling  now  perfectly  secure  against  danger  of  every 
sort,  slept  the  night  through.  Her  mind  was  now  relieved  of  a 
great  burden.  The  innocent  people  under  her  charge  were  at 
last  in  a  place  of  safety,  and  she  felt  like  defying  Gosee  and  all 
his  wicked  hosts.  She  deemed  she  had  now  fairly  eluded  her 
relentless  pursuers,  and  she  would  have  joined  heartily  in  the 
general  rejoicing,  continued  from  the  day  before,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  absence  of  her  unhappy  husband,  who,  though 
far  away  in  person,  was  seldom  absent  from  her  thoughts. 
Alola  knew  not  how  near  the  enemy  might  be  on  her  track, 
but  she  was  sure  they  would  follow  without  much  delay.  She 
reasoned  wisely  that  the  disappointed  Gosee  would  never  falter 
or  turn  back  until  he  had  her  in  his  possession;  at  all  events,  so 
long  as  there  was  the  least  hope  left  of  accomplishing  that  pur 
pose.  Her  gratification  was  most  in  the  thought  that  from 
her  present  secure  place  her  brave  soldiers  could  sally  forth 
and  harass  the  enemy  and  be  as  safe,  on  their  return,  as  if 
ensconced  in  the  fortress  of  Gibraltar. 

Though  considerably  demoralized  at  first,  and  broken  in 
spirit  by  their  successive  defeats,  her  warriors,  nevertheless, 
were  the  same  men  who  had  fought  so  gallantly  on  former 
occasions,  and  she  was  confident  they  would  still  be  able  to  do 
great  execution  against  the  common  enemy — common,  did  we 
say?  surely  it  was  a  most  uncommon  enemy  for  the  good 
Anglos.  There  was  one  consideration,  however,  in  this  con 
nection  that  pleased  her  not  at  all.  She  remembered  that  her 
former  friends,  the  Santos,  were  reputed  to  be  the  swiftest  run. 
ners  in  the  world,  and  it  would  hardly  do,  therefore,  for  a  force 


350  YEARS  AGO.  313 

that  relied  upon  retreat  for  safety,  to  come  in  collision  with 
them  at  any  great  distance  from  home,  and  she  feared  her  men 
might  be  able  to  inflict  upon  the  allied  powers  less  annoyance 
for  that  reason. 

The  good  queen  was  unremitting  in  her  exertions  to  provide, 
and  lay  in  supplies  of  every  kind  that  might  be  needed  within 
her  fortified  place,  so  that  it  should  not  be  reduced  by  starva 
tion,  in  case  of  siege.  Men,  women,  and  also  the  larger  chil 
dren,  of  both  sexes,  under  her  charge,  were  sent  out  into  the 
nearest  hills  and  valleys  to  gather  provisions,  and  all  the 
necessaries  of  life,  and  in  a  short  time  there  was  laid  up  in 
this  camp  an  abundant  store.  On  the  borders  of  the  peninsula, 
all  around,  close  down  by  the  sea,  shell-fish  abounded,  and  in 
the  deep  waters,  near  the  shore,  other  fishes  of  all  sorts  could 
be  taken  in  numbers,  and  the  beleaguered  would  have  that 
resort  for  sustenance  in  case  of  great  need.  Thus  fixed  and 
provided,  Alola,  the  fair,  was  secure  in  these  her  new  quarters. 

Scarcely  had  the  requisite  preparations  for  long  confinement 
in  this  islandic  home  been  completed,  when  the  Santos  scouts 
began  to  make  their  appearance  on  the  main-land,  and  in  a 
day  or  two  longer  a  large  body  of  the  combined  forces  of  the 
enemy  hove  in  sight.  These  were  under  the  lead  of  the  jealous 
Gosee  himself,  who,  exulting  in  his  late  victories,  was  in  hot 
pursuit  of  the  fugitive  queen,  whom  he  confidently  expected  to 
capture,  and  whom  he  fully  intended  to  lead  back  to  her  native 
country  in  triumph.  As  she  had  treated  his  suit  with  disdain 
by  running  off  with  his  rival,  so  he  was  resolved  now  to  visit 
upon  her  the  fullest  measure  of  punishment,  in  the  form  of  con 
tumely  and  reproach.  His  ambition  was  to  possess  himself  of 
her  person,  as  now  he  had  that  of  Manueio,  and  by  humbling 
her  before  all  the  people,  he  thought  to  heal  in  some  measure 
the  gaping  wounds  in  his  honor.  Learning,  while  yet  in  the 


314  CALIFORNIA 

Anglos  city,  from  his  scouts,  the  direction  she  had  taken,  he, 
impatient,  tarried  only  a  day  and  part  of  another,  at  that  place, 
and  then  pushed  on  to  overtake  her,  which  he  felt  certain  in 
his  own  mind  of  doing,  knowing  full  well  that  her  flight  would 
be  impeded  by  the  children  and  old  people  she  had  felt  com 
pelled  to  take  with  her.  A  man,  he  thought,  might  have 
abandoned  these  to  their  fate  in  so  great  an  emergency,  but  a 
woman,  and  least  of  all  Alola,  he  was  certain  would  not,  and 
he  followed  her  up  with  renewed  confidence  of  success. 

Already,  in  his  imagination,  was  she  bending  before  him  in 
the  deepest  humiliation,  her  dark  eyes  streaming  with  tears, 
begging  for  mercy  at  his  hands,  when  he  arrived  in  front  of  the 
peninsula  with  his  army — but  here  his  pleasant  delusion  was 
suddenly  dispelled.  Gosee  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  for 
was  he  not  an  experienced  commander  ?  and  he  was  greatly 
perplexed  to  know  just  what  next  he  should  do.  At  first,  he 
essayed  rashly  to  cross  some  of  his  troops  over  the  narrow  neck 
of  land  that  led  out  to  where  Alola  was  entrenched,  but  her 
trusty  men  were  on  guard  and  promptly  repelled  his  advance, 
casting  several  of  the  invaders  headlong  into  the  briny  waves. 
Being  dumfounded  with  disappointment,  and  in  great  doubt, 
Gosee  stamped  about  for  a  while,  and  then  ordered  the  allied 
forces  to  go  into  camp  for  the  night  where  they  were,  and  called 
a  council  of  war.  Neither  he,  nor  the  wisest  of  his  subalterns, 
were  able  to  devise  any  means  by  which  possession  could  be 
obtained  of  Alola's  new  quarters.  Some  of  his  warriors  advised 
that  the  place  be  blockaded  at  once,  in  order  that,  all  supplies 
being  cut  off,  the  queen  would  be  compelled,  after  a  little,  as 
they  thought,  to  surrender  at  discretion.  But  this  calculation, 
like  many  others  in  war,  was  made  without  sufficient  informa 
tion.  Alola  had  prudently  provided  against  just  such  a  con 
tingency.  Nevertheless,  a  siege  was  concluded  upon ;  for  the 
victorious  Gosee  had  come  too  near  his  game  to  forego  the 
chase,  while  there  was  yet  the  shadow  of  a  hope  left  of  a  capt- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  315 

ure.  He  was  not  the  man,  after  advancing  thus  far,  to  be 
balked  in  his  purpose  at  last,  and  that  too  by  a  woman,  if  he 
could  help  it. 

In  the  midst  of  this  perplexity,  on  the  following  day  but  one, 
and  while  Gosee,  like  a  prudent  general,  was  taking  observa 
tions  upon  the  situation  of  his  antagonist,  he  was  greatly  sur 
prised  by  the  sudden  appearance,  on  the  neighboring  portion  of 
the  peninsula,  of  Alola  herself,  who,  arrayed  in  her  gayest  attire, 
attended  by  a  troop  of  brilliantly-dressed  young  women,  and 
all  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  brave  warriors,  approached,  as 
nearly  as  safety  would  allow,  to  the  main-land,  and  there,  stand 
ing  upon  a  high  bluff,  with  clear  and  distinct  tones  addressed 
her  former  lover,  the  new  king  of  her  native  country,  and  suc 
cessor  of  her  noble  father,  who  (that  is  to  say)  Gosee,  was  attent 
ively  watching  her  movements  from  the  main  shore,  and  eagerly 
listening  to  catch  her  every  utterance ;  for  he  knew  at  once, 
from  her  majestic  bearing  and  beautiful  appearance,  that  it  was 
none  other  than  the  long-absent  Alola.  Directing  her  burning 
words  to  her  cruel  persecutor,  she  severely  reproached  him  for 
waging  an  unjust  war  against  a  people  who  had  never,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  molested  him  or  his  kingdom.  She  plainly 
told  him  that  the  blood  of  many  of  his  own  subjects,  who  had 
been  slain  in  this  cruel  war,  as  well  as  that  of  not  a  few  of  her 
own,  was  upon  his  guilty  head,  and  she  warned  him  that  the 
vengeance  of  the  offended  gods  would  surely  overtake  him  in 
his  wicked  career — and  herein  she  seemed  to  speak  with  the 
voice  of  prophesy. 

She  said,  with  much  emotion,  for  she  could  not  entirely  sup 
press  her  feelings,  and  her  voice  was  broken  as  she  proceeded, 
with  sobbing,  that  if  it  was  on  account  of  her  elopement  with 
the  good  Manuelo  that  he  waged  the  war,  still  it  was  unjustifia 
ble,  since  the  laws  of  his  country  were  grossly  unreasonable, 
in  so  far  as  they  enforced  matrimony  upon  unwilling  parties; 


316  CALIFORNIA 

and  that  such  laws,  no  matter  where  found,  ought  not  to  be 
respected;  that  they  were  in  direct  conflict  with  a  great  law  of 
nature,  and  that,  not  their  infraction,  but  obedience  to  them, 
would  be  criminal.  She  told  him,  emphatically,  that  she  had 
never  loved  him,  and  never  could,  but  that  her  love  for  Man- 
uelo,  as  Gosee  himself  might  have  seen  if  he  had  had  his  eyes 
open,  was  from  the  first,  pure,  holy,  and  irresistible,  and  that 
she  had  now  no  regrets  for  anything  she  had  done,  and  had 
never  felt  any  compunctions  of  conscience  on  account  of 
absconding  with  him. 

She  then  demanded  to  know  where  her  husband  then  was, 
and  with  thrilling  tones  warned  the  proud  king  that  if  Manuelo 
was  yet  living,  as  she  verily  believed  he  was,  it  would  be  unsafe 
for  either  Gosee,  or  any  of  his  men,  to  harm,  or  permit  to  be 
harmed,  so  much  as  a  hair  of  his  head;  that  if  Manuelo  should 
be  killed,  or  maltreated,  she,  who  was  now  quite  beyond  the 
reach  of  all  danger,  had  genius  enough  left  to  avenge  such  a 
wrong,  and  she  would  live  for  that  purpose  alone,  during  all 
the  balance  of  her  natural  life,  and  when  dead,  haunt  him  for 
the  crime. 

She  then  coolly  informed  him  of  what  he  had  already  sus 
pected,  that  he  might  as  well  break  up  his  camp  at  once,  and 
go  hence  about  his  business,  for  he  could  never  enter  the  pen 
insula,  or  make  a  captive  of  her;  that  she  had  anticipated  his 
tactics  and  had  laid  in  an  ample  supply  of  provisions  for  her 
people,  and  could  hold  out  in  her  impregnable  station  much 
longer  than  he  could  afford  to  maintain  the  siege.  Finishing 
her  speech,  she  was  on  the  point  of  retiring,  when  Gosee,  who 
had  been  listening  with  open  mouth  and  ears  to  every  word 
she  had  uttered,  now  with  lying  and  deceitful  tongue  replied 
that  her  dear  Manuelo,  upon  whom  she  had  so  graciously  con 
descended  to  bestow  her  charms,  instead  of  upon  himself, 
though  a  prince  imperial,  was  then  dead,  having  been  killed  at 
the  pass  in  the  mountains,  and  that  she  could  make  up  her 


350  YEARS  AGO.  317 

mind  never  to  see  him  more,  unless  in  the  land  of  the  spirits. 
Alola  shuddered  when  he  assured  her  that  the  body  of  her 
beloved  husband  was  at  that  very  moment  being  torn  by  hun 
gry  vultures,  on  the  field  of  that  desperate  strife.  The  heartless 
Gosee  then  reproached  her  for  being  the  cause  of  the  prema 
ture  death  of  her  venerable  father,  by  her  willful  violation  of  the 
laws  of  her  native  country,  and  ended  his  deceitful  harangue 
by  complimenting  her  on  her  splendid  personal  appearance, 
telling  her  that  he  had  never  seen  her  look  so  fine  before  in  his 
life,  and  that,  though  he  had  no  disposition  to  flatter  her,  far 
from  it,  yet  he  could  not  help  saying  that  the  Anglos  nation 
had  done  themselves  great  credit  in  selecting  for  their  queen  a 
person  of  so  much  beauty  and  attractiveness,  and  finally,  that, 
as  a  native  Santo,  like  herself,  he  was  proud  and  delighted  that 
the  choice  had  fallen  upon  one  so  worthy  of  the  place. 

Alola,  for  the  moment,  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  motives  of 
Gosee  in  the  utterance  of  such  very  kind  and  agreeable  words; 
but  she  deigned  not  a  reply,  but  as  she  left  her  high  stand,  she 
waved  her  hand  towards  him,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Go  away,"  or, 
as  Justino  interpreted  it,  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan." 

This  remarkable  interview  ended  where  it  began,  for  neither 
party  was,  as  to  the  other,  further  or  nearer  than  before.  The 
siege  was  maintained  for  several  days  longer,  without  any  event 
worthy  of  mention  in  this  hasty  narrative,  when  one  bright 
morning  the  camp  of  the  allies  was  observed  to  be  broken  up, 
and  their  forces  marching  off  over  the  neighboring  hills,  as  if  the 
siege  were  entirely  abandoned.  The  enemy  were  all  soon  out 
of  sight  from  the  peninsula ;  but  before  they  quite  disappeared, 
the  Anglos  soldiers,  who  were  always  on  guard,  observing  the 
movement,  sallied  forth  in  considerable  numbers,  well  armed, 
and  pursuing,  fell  upon  the  rear  guard  of  the  receding  foe,  to 
the  end  of  annoying  him  and  nothing  more,  for  it  was  not  their 
purpose  to  become  involved  in  a  general  battle. 


318  CALIFORNIA 

LXXXIII. 

A  DESERTER. 

THESE  brave  Anglos  warriors  contented  themselves  with 
harassing  the  retreating  enemy,  in  the  manner  described,  dur 
ing  the  greater  part  of  that  day,  and  after  inflicting  no  little 
punishment  upon  him,  they  leisurely  made  for  their  stronghold 
on  the  peninsula.  But  on  their  way  back  they  picked  -up  by 
the  road-side  a  straggler  from  the  enemy's  ranks.  He  had 
feigned  to  his  friends  to  be  lame,  but  was  really  a  deserter 
from  the  Santos  corps.  This  man  had  fortunately  listened  to 
the  speech  of  Alola  and  was  captivated  by  her  arguments. 
Being  a  native  of  the  same  place  as  herself,  he  had  known 
Alola  in  former  years,  in  fact  during  all  the  period  of  her  child 
hood,  and  was  strongly  in  sympathy  with  her.  His  admiration 
of  the  lady  had  always  been  excessive,  and  it  was  not  at  all 
diminished  when  he  learned  the  facts  about  her  subsequent 
history.  He  was  an  admirer  of  heroism,  whether  in  man  or 
woman,  but  in  all  his  life  he  had  never  heard  of  so  fabulous  an 
exhibition  of  it  as  was  witnessed  in  her  individual  case. 

This  man  being  remembered  by  Alola,  was  freely  admitted 
over  the  narrow  isthmus  into  the  peninsula,  and  in  response  to 
Alola's  anxious  inquiries,  gave  to  her  then  and  there  a  full  ac 
count  of  Manuelo's  treatment  after  his  capture,  for  he  was  not 
killed,  as  Gosee  had  falsely  stated.  She  was,  as  you  may  well 
guess,  most  eager  to  hear  about  him,  and  listened  to  the  story 
of  the  deserter  with  tears  in  her  eyes.  Seated  on  a  tawny 
lion's  skin,  in  the  largest  wigwam,  in  the  presence  of  his  captors, 
but  addressing  his  words  to  Alola,  he  said  that  when  gallant 
Manuelo  unfortunately  tripped  and  fell,  at  the  battle  in  the 
steep  pass  over  the  second  range  of  mountains,  he  was  instantly 
seized  hold  of  by  a  detachment  of  the  Santos  soldiers,  many 
of  whom  remembered  him  well,  and  some  of  them,  in  spite  of 
all  attempts  to  inflame  their  minds  against  him,  still  entertained 


350  YEARS  AGO.  ,  319 

for  him  a  very  high  regard.  In  past  times  he  had  graciously 
instructed  them  in  the  useful  arts,  and  among  those  arts  were 
the  wonderful  improvements  in  the  fashion  and  construction  of 
their  wearing  apparel.  Remembering  these  things  gratefully, 
the  last  thing  they  would  do  would  be  to  inflict  upon  so  useful 
a  person  unnecessary  harm.  But  the  feelings  of  Gosee  towards 
him,  and  for  abundant  reason,  were  entirely  different.  Man- 
uelo  in  fact  had  been  his  successful  rival  in  the  affections  of 
the  fairest,  wisest,  and  best  of  all  the  damsels  of  his  kingdom, 
and  Gosee  was  ready  and  anxious  to  visit  upon  him  the  ven 
geance  that  was  rankling  in  his  heart.  Incited  by  such  hatred, 
he  would  have  rushed  headlong  upon  Manuelo  as  soon  as  he 
was  observed  to  fall,  had  he  not  been  restrained  by  a  quickly 
gathering  crowd  of  his  Santos  soldiers,  who  closely  hovered 
about  the  prostrate  white  man,  and  perceiving  that  their  king 
had  blood  in  his  eye,  resisted  his  advance  by  force,  protecting 
Manuelo.  The  melee  that  ensued  was  terribly  exciting,  till 
Manuelo  regained  his  feet  and  was  prepared  to  defend  himself. 
So  hotly  revengeful  was  Gosee  that  he  raved  like  a  madman, 
and  his  purpose  could  with  difficulty  be  thwarted.  He  was 
determined  at  every  hazard  to  compass  the  death  of  his  more 
fortunate  competitor  for  the  fair  hand  of  the  princess,  but  the 
numbers  against  him  were  too  great,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
desist.  Manuelo's  life  for  the  time  was  spared,  but  his  mighty 
enemy  was  by  no  means  disposed  to  give  it  up  so.  It  was  the 
principal  burden  upon  Gosee's  mind,  until  in  camp  that  night, 
on  the  hither  side  of  the  mountain,  the  question  was  again 
raised,  now  with  more  deliberation,  as  to  what  disposition  should 
be  made  of  the  distinguished  prisoner,  when,  fortunately  for 
Manuelo,  and  the  literary  world,  the  Barbos  and  the  Movos 
both  put  in  their  several  claims  for  the  distinction  of  putting 
him  to  death  by  torture,  for  both  these  peoples,  like  the  bloody 
Gosee  himself,  were  boiling  over  with  revenge.  They  recol 
lected,  as  they  hr.d  good  reason  to,  the  chastisements  that  had 


320  CALIFORNIA 

been  inflicted  upon  them  in  the  past  by  his  hands,  and  a  vio 
lent  dispute  arose  between  them  as  to  which  should  enjoy  the 
satisfaction  of  taking  his  life.  Each  of  the  allies  based  his 
claim  upon  the  fact  of  having  been  in  the  van  of  the  attack, 
and  having  in  consequence  suffered  most  from  the  resistance 
of  the  Anglos,  and  perhaps  from  the  weapons  of  Manuelo  him 
self,  and  both  were  extremely  persistent. 

But  for  this  unexpected  quarrel,  which  ran  very  high  at  the 
time,  the  deserter  assured  the  trembling  Alola  that  Manuelo,  a 
prisoner,  unarmed  as  he  was,  must  have  given  up  his  life  that 
night,  inevitably,  and  with  tortures  probably  unheard  of.  A 
period,  however,  was  finally  put  to  this  dispute,  said  the  deserter, 
by  a  force  of  the  Santos,  who  came  forward  and  claimed  the 
prisoner  for  themselves,  by  virtue  of  their  greater  numbers  and 
their  superiority  in  some  other  respects.  This  demand  of  the 
swift-footed  Santos  was  not  to  be  resisted,  and  the  designs  of 
both  the  allies  were  thus  frustrated.  When  the  lucky  Manuelo 
was  once  more  in  trie  hands  of  his  former  friends,  the  bloody 
designs  of  Gosee  were  likewise  opposed,  and  the  prisoner's 
life  was  spared.  In  fact,  the  commander-in- chief  of  the  allies 
was  too  much  engrossed  at  this  hour  in  the  disposition  of  his 
various  forces,  to  give  further  attention  to  his  distinguished 
captive,  for  discontent,  from  different  causes,  and  dissatisfaction 
on  account  of  their  losses,  were  fast  creeping  into  the  camps  of 
the  cohorts.  Serious  complaints  were  heard  among  them, 
growing  out  of  being  compelled  to  take  the  brunt  of  the  fight, 
while  most  of  the  glory,  they  spitefully  alleged,  was  being 
appropriated  by  the  selfish  Santos.  Quiet  was  at  last  restored 
among  the  clamorous  allies,  who  slept  that  night  upon  the  hope 
of  an  abundance  of  plunder  and  pillage  within  the  next  day 
or  two,  which  they  expected  surely  to  find  in  the  rich  capital  of 
the  Anglos. 

On  the  following  day  the  movement  in  advance  was  resumed, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  very  day  it  had  been  deserted  by  its 


350  YEARS  AGO.  321 

inhabitants,  the  doomed  city  was  entered  by  the  triumphant 
hordes  of  the  enemy.  Hurrying  forward  for  the  purpose  of 
sacking  the  town,  the  invaders  found  much  less  to  gratify  their 
desires  than  they  had  been  led  to  expect,  and  out  of  revenge 
for  their  disappointment  they  turned  to  and  wickedly  destroyed 
or  desecrated  whatever  there  was  left. 

Gosee  in  particular  was  terribly  annoyed  to  find  that  he  had 
been  eluded  by  his  game,  and  in  his  rage  he  stormed  so  loudly 
about,  as  was  said,  that  the  whole  city  was  shaken  from  its 
foundation.  With  the  utmost  confidence  had  he  counted  upon 
the  capture  of  Alola,  and  when  the  kindly  deserter,  who  was 
relating  these  facts,  came  to  describe  to  that  person  the  con 
duct  of  her  wicked  pursuer,  she  could  but  join  in  the  gen 
eral  rejoicing  of  those  present.  The  vindictive  Santos  high 
chief  was  most  overcome  with  anger  when  he  visited  the  mag 
nificent  apartments  of  his  former  betrothed,  as  he  did  without 
delay,  and  found  that  the  beautiful  bird  had  flown.  It  was  a 
poor  and  a  petty  revenge  to  tear  to  pieces  with  his  own  hands 
whatever  was  recognized  as  having  belonged  to  her,  and  his 
conduct  only  excited  the  contempt  of  the  queen  herself,  when 
listening  to  this  account  of  it.  Remaining  in  the  city  only 
that  night,  but  without  finding  much  sleep  for  his  eyelids,  the 
fiery  Gosee  pushed  forward  on  the  following  day,  as  we  already 
know,  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitive  queen,  leaving  Manuelo,  in  the 
meantime,  under  a  strong  guard  of  the  Barbos,  in  his  own 
mutilated  and  deserted  capital. 

As  may  well  be  supposed,  the  loving  Alola  was  overjoyed  to 
learn  from  this  kind  Santos  deserter  that  her  noble  husband 
had  been  spared,  and  was  yet  alive,  and  apparently  safe.  So 
happy  was  she  made  by  this  intelligence  that,  in  recognition  of 
the  great  obligation,  she  permitted  the  deserter  to  reverently 
kiss  her  soft  hand,  and  he  was  more  than  satisfied  for  all 
the  risk  he  had  run  in  bringing  the  welcome  information.  It 
was  a  compensation  he  had  not  been  looking  for,  and  was 
therefore  all  the  more  gratifying. 


322  CALIFORNIA 

What  was  thought  at  first  might  be  a  feint  on  the  part  of 
Gosee  in  withdrawing  from  the  siege  of  the  peninsula,  proved 
to  be  a  veritable  retreat.  The  situation,  as  he  had  found  it, 
was  discouraging  enough  to  him  and  his  impatient  allies,  and 
he  despaired  of  ever  being  able  to  reduce  the  place,  or  to 
capture  the  wily  Alola.  Ashamed  to  be  seen  withdrawing  by 
the  same  route  he  had  come,  he  took  a  more  circuitous  one  by 
night,  and  made  his  way  back  to  the  capital  of  the  Anglos, 
disappointed  and  crest-fallen,  and  the  more  so  from  being 
worsted  by  a  woman.  Finding  not  the  wherewithal  in  the 
towns  of  the  Anglos  to  recruit  his  men,  as  he  had  hoped, 
Gosee  tarried  but  a  short  time  in  the  country  before  turning  his 
face  northward,  for  the  season  was  now  fast  advancing.  Hov 
ering  about  in  the  enemy's  country,  therefore,  but  a  few  days, 
to  gather  up  such  supplies  as  he  could  find,  he  mustered  his 
wearied  and  hungry  warriors  in  front  of  the  city,  and  without  a 
word  either  of  congratulation  or  encouragement,  he  gruffly 
ordered  the  march  to  begin,  for  their  homes,  over  the  same 
path  by  which  they  had  come  some  weeks  before. 

Disappointed  in  the  main  object  of  the  expedition,  Gosee 
sullenly  lingered  behind  in  the  silent  city;  for  though  he  had 
Manuelo  in  his  charge,  he  wanted  Alola  the  more,  and  reluc 
tantly  departed  without  her.  To  his  great  mortification,  he 
afterwards  learned  that  this  noble  little  woman,  leaving  a  colony 
on  the  curious  peninsula,  to  the  end  that  she  might  always  hold 
the  same  as  a  secure  retreat  for  her  people,  in  case  of  another 
disaster  like  the  last,  had  returned  to  her  cherished  capital,  and 
by  the  exercise  of  extraordinary  energy  and  foresight,  had 
restored  it  to  its  former  condition  of  prosperity,  and  even  more. 
There  she  continued  to  reign  in  the  absence  of  Manuelo,  but 
always  with  a  hope  of  his  return,  for  the  good  woman  knew 
full  well  that  if  it  was  ever  in  his  power  he  would  hasten  back 
to  her  arms. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  323 

LXXXIV. 

MANUELO  A  PRISONER. 

BUT  poor  Manuelo  was  now  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  hands 
of  his  most  cruel  and  vindictive  adversary,  and  was  being  carried 
back  to  the  land  whose  laws  he  had  broken,  and  from  which,  years 
agone,  he  had  fled.  A  captive  he  had  been  before,  but  not  un 
der  such  intensely  disagreeable  circumstances  as  the 'present. 
When  with  the  Modens  he  had  been  merely  restrained  of  his 
personal  liberty,  but  now  in  addition  to  the  loss  of  his  individ 
ual  freedom,  he  was  compelled  to  undergo  the  humiliation  of 
being  held  by  his  quondam  friends,  and  for  what  they  consid 
ered  a  gross  breach  of  good  faith  on  his  part,  and  what  he 
himself  was  constrained  to  regard  as  somewhat  in  the  nature  of 
a  violation  of  the  laws  of  hospitality.  The  mortification  which 
he  suffered,  on  this  latter  account,  was  a  thousand  times  more 
cutting  to  his  sensitive  nature  than  would  have  been  ordinary 
captivity,  or  than  had  been  his  painful  servitude  with  -the  cruel 
Modens.  But  there  was  no  help  for  him  now.  Ignominiously 
bound,  to  prevent  his  escape,  and  under  an  ample  guard  of  the 
myrmidons  of  the  cautious  Gosee,  he  was  forced  to  keep  along 
with  the  returning  army  of  the  Santos  and  their  mercenary 
allies.  He  was,  in  fact,  about  the  only  trophy  of  the  disastrous 
campaign  worth  naming,  but  it  was  regarded  by  Gosee  as  no 
mean  achievement  to  take  back  to  his  capital  the  reigning 
king  of  the  country  against  which  he  had  led  the  war.  Though 
not  particularly  proud  of  the  expedition,  on  account  of  his 
failure  to  capture  Alola,  Gosee  was  at  least  glad  to  be  in 
possession  of  the  person  who  had  treated  him  so  disdainfully, 
and  had  cheated  him  of  the  love  of  that  agreeable  young 
princess. 

It  was  some  consolation  to  poor  Manuelo  to  have  the  com 
pany,  in  his  distress,  of  his  faithful  Warno,  and  a  few  other 
Anglos  veterans,  who,  like  himself,  were  being  led  into  cap- 


324  CALIFORNIA 

tivity,  but  who,  unlike  himself,  knew  not  whither  they  were 
going. 

On  the  borders  of  his  kingdom,  the  haughty  Gosee  dis 
missed  his  allies,  the  Movos  and  the  Barbos,  and  then  prose 
cuted  his  march  towards  the  great  city  on  the  Bay,  located,  as 
we  remember,  over  against  its  entrance  from  the  ocean;  and  the 
progress  of  the  returning  army  of  Santos  was  thereafter  without 
incident. 

Arriving  at  the  capital  just  in  time  for  the  autumn  feast  of 
ripe  fruits,  the  disconsolate  Manuelo  saw,  on  that  occasion, 
many  of  his  old  friends,  by  some  of  whom,  prisoner  though  he 
was,  he  was  greeted  with  kindly  words  and  tender  expressions 
of  regard,  but  by  none  with  more  real  sympathy  than  was 
shown  him  by  his  former  betrothed,  but  slighted,  Nona,  who 
happened  to  be  among  the  visitors  and  recognized  him  this 
time  instantly.  From  her  he  learned  many  things  about  his 
early  friends,  the  Yonos,  from  whom  he  had  been  so  long 
absent,  and  for  whose  welfare  he  had  never  ceased  to  feel  the 
deepest  solicitude,  as  he  truthfully  assured  her.  .Nona  had 
been  happily  married,  for  three  years  and  upwards,  to  a  younger 
son  of  the  high  priest,  and  was  already  the  mother  of  two  inter 
esting  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  who  were  always  with  her,  and 
who  shared  with  their  mother  the  hearty  congratulations  of 
her  former  betrothed.  Manuelo  made  her  and  her  excellent 
husband  the  bearers  of  numerous  greetings,  from  a  full  heart,  to 
their  people,  and  particularly  to  his  reliable  friend,  the  elder 
son  of  the  high  priest,  and  to  his  indiscreet  wife,  who  had  been 
the  cause  of  so  much  annoyance  in  times  past;  but  concerning 
whom  he  was  now  especially  gratified  to  hear  only  the  most  favor 
able  reports.  Manuelo  was  informed  that  the  priest's  son  had 
returned  alone  from  the  fishing  excursion,  entered  upon  by  the 
two  some  half  dozen  years  before,  and  in  his  account  of  the 
same,  stated  to  his  anxious  tribe  that  he  and  Manuelo  had 
been  driven,  by  adverse  winds,  quite  across  the  Bay,  and  that 


350  YEARS  AGO.  325 

Manuelo  had  positively  refused  to  return,  and  it  was  with 
some  reluctance,  he  was  told,  that  the  Yonos  had  given  up  their 
claim  upon  him,  but  they  had  almost  forgotten  after  a  while 
that  such  a  person  as  Manuelo  had  ever  existed. 

But  for  all  Manuelo  could  do,  and  notwithstanding  the  undis 
guised  friendship  of  a  portion  of  the  people  of  the  city  for  him, 
the  king,  the  hard-hearted  Gosee,  remained  bitterly  hostile,  and 
not  only  he,  but  some  of  his  guilty  retainers,  were  ever  disposed 
to  heap  indignities,  of  one  sort  or  another,  upon  him. 

Manuelo  could  illy  brook  their  many  taunts  and  insults,  but 
there  was  no  relief,  since  Gosee  had  become  a  popular  king, 
and  powerful  withal,  and  his  subjects  were  afraid  to  offend  him. 
Having  been  a  king  himself,  Manuelo  possessed  too  much 
good  sense  to  find  fault  with  his  treatment,  or  to  suppose  that 
the  present  king  of  the  Santos  was  wanting  in  a  provocation. 
But  this  was  poor  consolation  to  one  who  was  kept  constantly 
under  the  closest  watch,  and,  oftener  than  was  needful  to  prevent 
his  escape,  was  bound  hand  and  foot.  His  sufferings  under 
these  inflictions  put  upon  him  by  the  royal  prerogative  of  the 
tyrannical  Gosee,  were  so  very  great  that  life  itself  was  fast 
becoming  intolerable,  when  one  day,  that  autumn,  a  strange 
spectacle  made  its  appearance.  Two  large  foreign  ships  were 
observed  coming  into  the  harbor  with  all  their  sails  set  and 
colors  flying.  The  whole  population  were  much  alarmed  at  this 
most  unusual  sight,  and  great  commotion  followed,  especially 
in  the  capital.  These  two  monstrous  vessels,  side  by  side,  like 
two  great  swooping  birds,  sailed  around  the  broad  Bay,  and  at 
last  dropped  their  anchors  directly  in  front  of  the  city.  In  due 
time  six  boats,  three  from  each  ship,  filled  with  armed  sailors, 
were  sent  to  the  shore.  These  men,  arrayed  in  shining  accou- 
terments,  with  proud  step,  and  with  cutlasses  drawn,  marched 
directly  up  to  the  town,  where  Gosee,  the  king,  tremblingly 
awaited  their  approach.  It  was  presently  discovered  that  the 
strangers  were  of  the  same  race  of  people  as  Manuelo  himself, 


326  CALIFORNIA 

who  in  consequence,  was  at  once  released  from  his  confine 
ment,  and  gladly  brought  out  to  converse  with  them,  and  to 
demand  of  them  what  they  might  want. 

The  ships  were  two  proud  Spanish  men-of-war  on  a  cruise 
up  the  coast,  and  had  entered  the  harbor,  in  the  name  of  their 
king,  to  take  possession  of  the  country,  which  to  them  bore  the 
appearance  of  being  a  land  of  pagan  barbarity.  They  were 
greatly  surprised  to  find  in  such  a  place,  and  with  such  a  popu 
lation,  a  person  who  was  able,  after  a  little  exertion,  to  recall 
and  converse  with  them  in  the  Spanish  tongue.  In  appear 
ance,  his  dress  being  the  same  as  the  natives,  Manuelo  was 
hardly  distinguishable  from  the  rest  of  the  people  of  the  coun 
try,  so  long  had  he  lived  among  them,  and  so  completely  had 
he  adopted  their  habits  and  customs,  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  the  strangers  could  be  made  to  believe  that  he 
had  ever  been  a  Spaniard  like  themselves.  But  his  account  of 
himself  soon  convinced  them  of  the  fact,  and  they  then  greeted 
him  with  many  demonstrations  of  kindness. 

It  rejoiced  Manuelo's  heart  beyond  measure  to  be  able  to 
speak  kindly  words  to  his  countrymen  on  behalf  of  the  swift 
Santos,  with  whom  he  had  been  so  long  acquainted,  and  thus 
to  protect  them  from  the  harsh  treatment  that  Christians,  in 
those  days,  were  in  the  habit  of  inflicting  on  all  unbelieving 
nations. 

But  towards  the  haughty  Gosee  he  was  less  kindly  disposed, 
and  boldly  informed  the  Spaniards,  in  the  very  presence  of  the 
king,  though  in  the  Spanish  language,  that  he  was  a  cruel 
prince  and  a  barbarian  withal,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  deposed. 
In  pursuance  of  this  information,  the  guilty  Gosee  was  directed 
to  leave  the  country,  on  pain  of  being  treated  as  an  enemy  of 
the  great  king  of  the  Spaniards,  and  on  his  sullen  departure,  a 
younger  brother  of  Alola,  a  veritable  prince,  who,  in  the  last 
few  years  had  grown  to  the  estate  of  manhood,  was  duly 
installed,  in  the  place  of  Gosee,  as  king  of  the  swift-footed 
Santos  nation. 


350  YEARS  AGO.  327 

This  young  king,  whose  name  was  Tonee,  acknowledged  the 
supremacy  of  the  Spanish  crown,  which  the  arbitrary  Gosee 
had  refused  to  do,  and  he  was  promised  the  support,  in  his  reign, 
of  as  many  great  ships,  like  those  now  in  sight,  as  might  be 
needed  to  make  his  authority  secure.  Tonee  entered  upon  his 
administration  with  great  eclat,  and  the  event  was  celebrated  by 
salvos  of  artillery  from  the  two  ships,  which,  thunder  and 
lightning,  as  it  was  thought  to  be,  was  never  forgotten  by  those 
simple-minded  people.  When  the  ceremony  was  over,  it  was 
believed  that  no  one  would  ever  thereafter  dare  to  dispute  the 
right  of  Tonee  to  the  throne,  and  as  far  as  known  no  one  ever  did. 

On  the  elevated  ground  near  the  palace  of  the  new  king,  a 
large  wooden  cross  was  erected,  large  enough  for  actual  use, 
had  such  been  required,  and  in  all  respects  resembling  the 
original;  and  there,  in  the  presence  of  the  young  king,  Te  Deums 
were  sung,  in  which  that  considerable  personage  and  all  his 
household  took  part,  as  best  they  knew  how,  and  they  were  duly 
taken  under  the  protection  of  the  Spanish  crown. 

LXXXV. 

CARRIED  OFF. 

THE  two  great  ships  remained  in  the  Bay  as  long  as  was 
deemed  necessary  to  firmly  establish  the  rights  of  their  royal 
master,  the  king  of  Spain,  to  this  newly  discovered  territory,  as 
they  called  it,  and  then,  with  colors  flying,  and  with  booming 
artillery,  they  sailed  away,  taking  Manuelo  with  them.  Manuelo, 
be  it  said  to  his  credit,  left  this  country  at  that  time  with  a  great 
deal  of  reluctance,  but  he  was  overpersuaded  by  the  captains 
of  the  two  vessels,  who  were  exceedingly  anxious  to  carry  him 
along,  as  a  true  witness  at  home  of  the  vastness  and  importance 
of  their  conquests.  Father  Justino  was  sure  that  he  never 
would  have  left  the  land  that  contained  his  lovely  Alola,  but 
for  a  promise,  which  he  exacted  in  the  most  solemn  manner 


328  CALIFORNIA 

from  the  captains  of  both  ships,  that  they  would  surely  return 
at  an  early  day  and  bring  him  back — a  promise,  however,  which 
Justino  believed  they  never  intended  to  keep,  and  which,  at  all 
events,  they  never  kept  so  far  as  known  at  the  present  time. 

Having  accomplished  the  object  of  their  cruise,  which  was 
to  find  and  take  possession  of,  in  the  name  of  the  king,  the 
best  harbor  on  the  northwestern  coast  of  America,  these  two 
great  vessels  of  war,  with  all  sails  unfurled,  and  with  cheerful 
ness  on  board,  bent  their  course  towards  some  home  port,  too 
anxious  to  give  to  the  Spanish  authorities  an  account  of  their 
eventful  voyage.  There  was  cheerfulness,  we  said,  but  the 
cheerfulness  was  not  universal  on  board;  there  was  one  person 
there  full  of  despondency,  and  with  a  heavy  heart. 

On  the  fourth  day  out,  when  the  ships,  sailing  together,  came 
opposite  the  country  of  the  Anglos,  Manuelo  sorely  repented 
him  of  his  rash  act,  and  wished  heartily  he  had  remained  on 
land.  From  the  quarter-deck  of  the  great  vessel  the  poor  man 
looked  off  with  longing  eyes  towards  his  kingdom,  now  the 
kingdom  of  Alola,  which  lay  spread  out  like  a  map  before  him, 
until,  overcome  with  anxiety,  he  appealed  to  the  captain  of  the 
vessel,  in  the  most  pitiful  terms,  to  be  put  ashore.  As  the 
beautiful  image  of  his  loving  wife  came  up  before  his  distem 
pered  imagination,  he  was  excited  to  the  brink  of  madness, 
and  with  bended  form  he  moaned  aloud,  bewailing  his  sad  pre 
dicament.  So  earnest  became  his  importunities,  at  last,  that 
the  prudent  captain  directed  the  ship  to  be  headed  out  further 
to  sea,  and  away  from  the  coast,  lest  Manuelo,  in  his  uncontrol 
lable  frenzy,  should  leap  from  the  deck  down  into  the  waves  with 
a  view  to  swimming  ashore.  The  hard-hearted  captain,  never 
having  himself  felt  the  pangs  of  disappointed  love,  disregarded 
the  appeals  of  the  distressed  Manuelo,  and>  impelled  by  a 
favorable  breeze,  hastened  on  his  voyage,  thus  dissevering  the 
very  heart-strings,  as  it  were,  of  'his  unwilling  passenger. 

It  is  fortunate  for  Aiola  that  she  did  not  know  her  poor  hus- 


350  YEARS  AGO.  329 

band  was  there,  else  her  end  would  surely  have  been  hastened 
by  drowning  in  the  ocean  that  bore  him  away. 

In  a  very  few  weeks  the  good  ships  arrived  safely  at  a  port, 
supposed  to  be  that  of  Acapulco,  where  the  fame  of  Manuelo 
was  soon  spread  abroad,  and  a  report  of  his  wonderful  advent 
ures  reached  the  ears  of  the  Dominican  friar,  Justino,  who  in 
due  time  sought  out  the  disconsolate  sailor,  and  in  return  for 
Christian  blessings  liberally  bestowed,  easily  persuaded  Manuelo 
to  relate  his  experience  in  full. 

Many  days  were  consumed  in  the  work,  but  Justino  wrote 
down,  word  for  word,  the  whole  of  that  strange,  eventful  history, 
just  as  it  appears  in  the  manuscript,  and  no  occasion  exists 
therefore  now  for  repeating  the  same. 

When  the  story  was  completed,  the  good  Dominican,  ex 
hausted  by  the  labor  and  broken  in  health,  took  passage  for 
home  in  the  very  same  ship  that  had  brought  Manuelo  from 
the  coast  of  California.  In  due  time,  with  the  precious  scroll 
in  his  charge,  he  arrived  at  his  native  city  of  Evora,  where,  as 
we  know,  he  died  and  was  buried. 

Manuelp  was  left  by  the  good  friar  Justino  in  far-off  Acapulco, 
but  what  became  of  him  afterwards  is  not  certainly  known, 
though  Justino  remembered  that  the  last  seen  of  him  he  was 
fitting  out,  on  his  own  account,  a  small  schooner,  of  which  he 
himself  was  to  take  command  as  captain,  and  proceed  with  all 
haste  to  Upper  California.  If  successful,  as  the  voyage  proba 
bly  was,  since  it  was  favored  with  the  earnest  prayers  of  pious 
Justino,  as  well  as  by  propitious  winds  at  that  season  of  the 
year,  the  schooner  reached  its  destination  in  safety,  and  Man 
uelo  the  brave  was  again  happy  in  the  embrace  of  the  fair 
princess  Alola. 


Sable  of 


PAGE. 

I.  The  Beginning 5 

II.  The  Next  Chapter 12 

III.  Manuelo I? 

IV.  Something  Else   18 

V.  Native  Habits  and  Religion 19 

VI.  Their  Sports 23 

VII.  Chapter  Seven 25 

VIII.  The  Subject  Resumed 28 

IX.  The  Abandonment 29 

X.  Providential   31 

XI.  The  People  Described 32 

XII.  Matrimonial   Affairs 33 

XIII.  Their  Habitations 34 

XIV.  Their  Names'. 35 

XV.  A  Doubtful  Trick 37 

XVI.  His  Departure 41 

XVII  His  Majesty 43 

XVIII.  The  High  Priest 45 

XIX.  Embarrassments 46 

XX.  Pretensions   47 

XXI.  Native  Weapons   49 

XXII.  The  Kingdom 5° 

XXIII.  The  Capital 52 

XXIV.  Their  Occupations 55 

XXV.  Setting  the  Fashions 57 

XXVI.  Their    Sundays 59 

XXVII.  Sun  Worship 61 

XXVIII.  Festivities 63 

XXIX.  About  War 68 

XXX.  The   Modens 7° 

(381) 


3QO 
•J.J 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

XXXI.  Some   Reflections ...  72 

XXXII.  Fishing 76 

XXXIII.  A  Shipwreck ..."     77 

XXXIV.  A  Sea  Fight . .  . .    ......     79 

XXXV.  Santos   Industries 80 

XXXVI.  Some  Legends 82 

XXXVII.  Winning  a   Sweetheart ,  . .  84 

XXXVIII.  A  Bear  Fight *...  86 

XXXIX.  Trials.../. 9: 

XL.  A    Change 96 

XLI.  Avoiding  Danger 98 

XLII.  Another  Tack 101 

XLIII.  War  Brewing 102 

XLI  V.  A    Prediction 103 

XLV.  The  Cause  of  the  War 105 

XL VI.  A  Dilemma 107 

XLVII.  Preparations 108 

XLVIII.  The  March  and  Battle 109 

XLIX.  Captivity 114 

L.  The  Retreat 120 

LI.  Some  Rehearsals 125 

LII.  An  Apology , . . .  128 

LIII.  With  Old  Friends  Again , 129 

LIV.  Jealousy 131 

LV.  Strategy 1 36 

LVI.  Neglect 140 

LVII.  Prologue 141 

LVIII.  A  Dream 143 

LIX.  The  Plains 147 

LX.  San  Francisco 1 54 

LXI.  The  People 161 

LXII.  The  City 164 

LXIII.  Dress , 173 

LXIV.  The  Return 186 

LXV.  A  Flight  Considered   195 

LX VI.  The  Elopement 203 

LXVII.  The  Barbos 221 

LXVIII.  The  Anglos 229 

LXIX.  War  with  the  Dagos 238 


CONTENTS. 


333 


PAGE. 

LXX.     Trouble  with  Mosoto 245 

LXXI.     Manuelo  as  King 255 

LXXII.     Against  the  Movos 257 

LXXIII.     Returning  Home 263 

LXXIV.     Mosoto's  War 267 

LXX V.     The  Anglos  Described 277 

LXXVI.     The  Santos'  Invasion 2§5 

LXXVII.     A  Battle  in  the  Clouds   29° 

LXXVIII.     Another  Stand 295 

LXXIX.     Loto's  Story 297 

LXXX.     Another  Fight  and  Defeat 3°2 

LXXXI.     The  City  Abandoned 3°7 

LXXXII.     The  Peninsula 31 1 

LXXXIII.     A  Deserter 3l8 

LXXXIV.     Manuelo  a  Prisoner 323 

LXXXV.     Carried   Off 327 


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